The Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI) commemorated its 10 year anniversary recently in Port Moresby.
Since its establishment 10 years ago, CEFI has grown from strength to strength in becoming the leading organization in coordinating, advocating and monitoring financial inclusion activities in Papua New Guinea.
CEFI Executive Director Garima Tongia during the ceremony acknowledged the Bank of PNG, CEFI Board Members and Staff, stakeholders and partners for playing important roles in ensuring CEFI continued to carry out its mandate in Financial Inclusion.
The Acting Governor of Bank of PNG and Chair of CEFI Board, Elizabeth Genia applauded CEFI’s accomplishments in areas of financial literacy training, developing and implementing financial inclusion policies and documents and partnering with key stakeholders to deliver financial inclusion projects.
“It’s important to note CEFI board members and staff contribution to achieving this important financial inclusion milestone and also gratifying to see that the financial inclusion agenda is being actively promoted,” Genia said.
Acting Governor Genia highlighted CEFI’s partnership with financial institutions in the area of financial literacy training had delivered trainings to over 350,000 Papua New Guineans.
“CEFI is now trying to work with an international agency to conduct impact assessment of the trainings delivered and improve the training material,” Genia added.
Mrs Genia praised CEFI’s dedicated strategy in using innovative technology to attract more women into the financial mainstream and economically empower them.
Acting Assistant Governor, Financial System Stability Group, Bank of PNG, George Awap, who played a very key role in CEFI’s establishment, paid tribute and gave recognition to important key stakeholders who had worked with CEFI during the 10 years such as the Bank of PNG, the National Government, Asian Development Bank, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, World Bank and International Finance Corporation.
Mr Awap also acknowledged former governors of the Bank of PNG for the foresight in supporting and driving the agenda of financial inclusion in PNG.
