Barry Whiteside: Microfinance and financial literacy development in Fiji
Opening speech by Mr Barry Whiteside, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji, at the Korovou
Microfinance Expo, Korovou, 19 May 2012.
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The Permanent Secretary Provincial Development & Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel
Inia Seruiratu
The Commissioner Central, Major Bale Tuitubou
The Roko Tui Tailevu, Mr. Semisi Saukawa
Korovou Town Administrator, Mr. Jone Bera
Microfinance clients and entrepreneurs
Representatives of banks and financial institutions
Government agencies and NGOs
The Vanua of Tailevu
Distinguished guests, friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen
Bula vinaka and a very good morning to you all.
It is a real pleasure for me to be here today on this occasion to help open the Korovou
Microfinance expo. I note that this is a first for your town and the feedback we have received
since announcing our plan to bring the expo to Tailevu has been very positive.
I wish to acknowledge the tremendous support we have received from the Commissioner
Central's Office, the Roko Tui Tailevu, the Principal of Tailevu North High School
Mr. Senikarawa, the Northland Rugby Secretary and all the stakeholders here today in
organizing this event. Vinaka vakalevu!
This is the first Microfinance Expo organized by the Reserve Bank this year and follows two
we had in the maritime zone and at the Suva Hibiscus festival last year.
Our partners are here again today - the banks, other financial institutions, the non-bank
financial institutions, investment agencies, government agencies, mobile network operators,
NGOs, Microfinance institutions, the National Centre for Small and Medium Enterprise
Development and the micro enterprises and entrepreneurs. All are combining their efforts to
promote greater awareness of financial inclusion. It is a good example of public sector,
private sector and civil society partnership towards common goals. Results are produced
through such coordination and understanding. At the end of the day, it is the general
population that will benefit from such collaboration.
Ladies and gentlemen, this Microfinance Expo in Korovou is a rare opportunity for you; we
have brought microfinance and financial literacy to your door-step. I hope you will take
advantage, and benefit from this opportunity. The occasion is meant to be educational and
fun. Apart from the abundance of useful information, services and products displayed and
presented by the institutions represented, there are also lots of giveaways for the children
and the entire family.
I urge you to make this a day where you take away something new in terms of your
understanding of finance. Please visit all the stalls where our stakeholders and colleagues
are waiting eagerly to serve and assist you. And most importantly, please enjoy the day!
With these few words I would like to kindly introduce Mrs. Lorine Tevi, a member of the
National Financial Inclusion Taskforce, to enlighten you further in the vosa vakaviti. But
before I do so, I have much pleasure in declaring the Korovou Microfinance Expo open.
Vinaka Vaka Levu.
END