Samoa’s achievements in advancing financial inclusion recognized during AFI CEO visit

On 3rd December 2024, Dr. Alfred Hannig, Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), the world’s leading organization on financial inclusion policy and regulation, met the Governor of the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS), Maiava Atalina Ainuu-Enari and her executive management team in Apia.

Governor Maiava discussed with Dr Hannig the progress of ongoing national financial inclusion projects in Samoa, including initiatives around inclusive green finance, SME finance, digital financial services, and the FinTech Regulatory Sandbox. In this meeting Governor Maiava acknowledged the crucial role AFI has played and continues to play in the financial inclusion policy agenda of Samoa. Dr Hannig congratulated Governor Maiava for the recently concluded South Pacific Governor’s meeting and the approval of the AFI-Global Green Growth Institute collaboration aligned to the Natadola Roadmap to Inclusive Green Finance in the Pacific. Dr Hannig also thanked Governor Maiava for her willingness to host an upcoming AFI Regional Workshop and Training on RegTech and SupTech as a Shared Inclusive Digital Infrastructure for Advancing Digital Financial Inclusion in the Pacific, on 24 - 26 February 2025 in Apia.

“The Central Bank of Samoa has made impressive strides in extending the access and use of safe, affordable and convenient financial services to all citizens, both through developing and implementing smart policy and through its leadership role among national stakeholders. I wish to reiterate AFI’s commitment to supporting CBS in its work to empower and financially include all groups of society, and to thank CBS for its contribution to advancing financial inclusion regionally and globally, through its active involvement in the AFI network,” says Dr. Hannig.

The Central Bank of Samoa has been an AFI principal member since 2009. CBS plays an active role in AFI’s Pacific Islands Regional Initiative, which aims at boosting regional financial inclusion, and contributes to advancing financial inclusion globally through its active participation in AFI Working Groups on Inclusive Green Finance, Consumer Empowerment & Market Conduct, Digital Financial Services, SME Finance, Financial Inclusion Data, and Financial Inclusion Strategy. Dr Hannig was accompanied by his AFI colleagues Dr Eliki Boletawa (Director, Policy Programs & Implementation), Paula Ricaurte (Senior Manager) and Mereseini Tuivuniwai (Regional Manager, Pacific).

About the Alliance for Financial Inclusion AFI is the world’s leading organization on financial inclusion policy and regulation, a member-owned network of central banks and financial regulatory institutions in 84 countries. AFI works to advance financial inclusion nationally, regionally, and globally. Over the last 15 years, AFI members have introduced 920 policy approaches, and financially included 841 million people