exchange settlement account system ( esas ) access review - reserve bank of new zealand - te putea matua ( rbnz. govt. nz ) reserve bank of new zealand. ( 2023 ). central bank network for indigenous inclusion. central bank network for indigenous inclusion - reserve bank of new zealand - te putea matua ( rbnz. govt. nz ) iwi chairs forum secretariat. ( n. d. ). pou & ilg contacts. sharing the vision of kotahitanga. pou & ilg contacts | iwi chairs forum secretariat sharing the vision of kotahitanga reserve bank of new zealand. ( 2021 ). maori bankers ropu established. maori bankers ropu established - reserve bank of new zealand - te putea matua ( rbnz. govt. nz ) improving maori access to capital government agencies – including the treasury, the ministry of business innovation and employment, and te puni kokiri, - are working on streamlining funding and support systems for maori business, with the goal to reshape their offerings to be most effective and measurable in outcomes. i believe that the pou tahua proposed rauawa will support this picture. access, capability and capital makes an opportunity i have outlined many workstreams, much collaboration, and a great will to improve maori access to capital. i have also highlighted why it is important for all new zealanders, and the reserve bank. if we can improve access to resources, and then apply the appropriate capability to the resource – including capital, then opportunities arise for prosperity, cultural inclusion, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability. despite the great work that is already happening, there is much left to be done. a clear signal of the task is highlighted in the recent commerce commission ’ s market study into personal banking services, 25and the agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary inquiry into banking. 26 both have a specific focus on lending on whenua, access to bank accounts, and experiences accessing banking products and services. at te putea matua we will continue to highlight the importance of collaboration, and the need to focus on solutions to improve maori access to capital. my hope is that bank leaders retain their commitment to this effort. i also encourage a broader group of equity providers to improve their capability to provide maori access to capital. we have yet to see the collaboration and investment scale that will unleash new zealand ’ s full economic potential. thank you for listening today. meitaki ma

new zealanders had no banking products. 4 as you can see, it ’ s hard to get precise numbers on financial exclusion, but it is significant. we are working to source data, and engage with community groups, banking staff, and customer groups, to understand the barriers to participation. maori are too often in the category of being under - served by the financial system, in both access and relevant financial products. this should disappoint all new zealanders, in part given that the maori economy remains one of the largest potential sources of economic growth. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ comyn, c. ( 2022 ) the financial colonisation of aotearoa. tamaki makaurau auckland, aotearoa new zealand : economic and social research aotearoa. rogers, k. a. ( 2024 ). te peeke o aotearoa, in australian coin review world bank group ( 2024 ). global financial inclusion | databank ( worldbank. org ) financial markets authority ( 2022 ) consumer experience with the financial sector. fma - consumer - experience - with - the - financial - sector - survey - 2022. pdf improving maori access to capital berl ’ s most recent report on the maori economy calculated that it grew at nearly twice the rate of the total economy over the 2013 - 2018 period. 5 the maori population is also young and will make up a significant proportion of the labour force in the coming years – circa 20 per cent by 2040. 6 meanwhile, maori land titles make up approximately 5 percent of the total land area in aotearoa, but around 80 percent of this land is deemed as being underused. 7 and, at present, only 8 percent of new zealand businesses are deemed to have maori owners, despite being circa 17 percent of the total population. 8 improving maori access to capital has been, and remains, a powerful enabler for prosperity, sustainability, cohesion, and inclusion. we should collectively prioritise this goal. in 1931, sir apirana ngata, the native minister ( and the person featured on our $ 50 note ), addressed parliament outlining challenges maori faced in accessing capital for maori land ( whenua ). these challenges included multiple landowners and an inability to put a mortgage on the land. that is almost 100 years ago. at te putea matua, in 2022 we released our maori access to capital issues paper