AFI, along with the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu (RBV), will co-host the 2nd Annual AFI Pacific Islands Regional Initiative (PIRI) Forum in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on 2-3 June 2016.

PIRI’s Expert Group on Financial Inclusion (EGFIP) will convene on the first day, before the regional initiatve meetings begin the following morning. The Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, Mr. Chartlot Salwai Tabimasmas, is scheduled to deliver the event’s opening remarks on 2 June.

This PIRI meeting will be held under the overarching theme “Islands of Inclusive Finance—SME’s and Financial Inclusion in the Pacific”. Discussion by attendees will include deepening dialogue for exploring and promoting SME finance, particularly for women entrepreneurs and women-owned enterprises, as well as to identify the roles of policymakers and regulators in promoting an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises.

“SMEs assume a substantial role in overall economic growth, employment and job creation, as well as in addressing inequality and poverty reduction,” said Mr. Norbert Mumba, Deputy Executive Director at AFI. “This is why it is so important that PIRI is holding this week’s meeting with the idea in mind to heighten focus on SME finance and financial inclusion in the region.”

The launch of PIRI established a long-term program with a common vision to ensure financial services are widely accessed throughout a region with one of the highest unbanked rates globally. PIRI members implement a peer-learning and knowledge-sharing approach to a variety of financial inclusion policy areas highly relevant for all small-island nations in the Pacific.

PIRI’s mission is to create and foster conditions that lead to the financial empowerment of all Pacific Islanders.