fiji. it is our job to ensure there is a competitive market that upholds the value of transparency and accountability and a level playing field for all. the active participation of women in the economy, as well as contributing to economic growth, is something that microfinance facilitates and something we can all be proud of. the onus is on each one of you present here today to work hand in hand to provide your families a means to better your standard of living. the time cannot be more opportune for those who bis central bankers ’ speeches are thinking of making a difference in their lives to be part of microfinance and the whole financial inclusion drive. ladies, please take this moment to reflect on the positive changes that microfinance has brought about in your family, community and the nation at large. you are doing something special, so i urge you to keep up the momentum. we all know that an economy is only as good as its individual units that encompass it. i have always believed that “ financial inclusion is not about giving handouts to anyone, it ’ s about helping the people to help themselves ”. once again, i thank mr. casagrande and mr. munoz for their kind invitation. i wish them and their team at spbd every success. i also would like to express my appreciation to spbd for continuing to contribute to the development of microfinance in fiji. may you continue to do so for many more years. to all you award nominees here today, i wish you the best and congratulate you on your achievements. in my mind, even if you miss out on a prize, you are all still winners. vinaka vakalevu. bis central bankers ’ speeches

to the community at large. microfinance acts as a bridge for women to be able to turn their dreams into reality. i know many of you have personally felt and lived this welcome change. microfinance to support these developments ladies and gentlemen, financial inclusion, which includes microfinance, has been acknowledged the world over as being critical to lifting the living standards of people and addressing poverty. financial inclusion is all about the availability of safe savings, bis central bankers ’ speeches appropriately designed loans and appropriate insurance and payment services, all designed for the poor and low income households. financial inclusion is about empowering or helping people to help themselves to increase their income, acquire capital, manage risk and work their way out of poverty and into a better life. according to the 2008 – 2009 household income and expenditure survey for fiji, there has been a large increase in the number of self - employed women in our country. data indicate these women represented 24 percent of total self - employed in 2008, up from 16 percent in 2002. i would expect the numbers to have increased even further with the advent of spbd fiji and your participation over the past 12 months. these numbers are surely a positive sign, indicating that recent initiatives to encourage and support women in self - employment are clearly bearing fruit. to all micro - entrepreneurs present here today and to those who are interested in starting up a micro business, please remember that microfinance is not only about receiving loans. it is much more than that. it is also about savings. therefore, it is very important that you make wise decisions while using the funds that are made available to you. i encourage you to take heed of the financial literacy training that is disseminated to you by the company. saving a dollar today, and whenever you can, will go a long way. starting your own business is the very first step. ensuring that you expand this business is also very critical for a sustained flow of income. using the revenue from your own business to put food on your table and to educate your children are the building blocks for a prosperous nation. microfinance is a platform that has provided you with an opportunity to do just that. development in financial inclusion and microfinance ladies and gentleman, as you may be aware, in 2009 a national microfinance workshop was organized by the reserve bank and supported by the pacific financial inclusion programme ( pfip ). a key outcome at this workshop was the commitment by all the participants to a common vision