Fiji is on track to achieve its goal of reaching at least 150,000 unbanked citizens through a coordinated national effort by the year 2014.
The need to reach unbanked citizens is part of Government’s development plans to provide financial services to those who have never accessed this resource.
Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor, Barry Whiteside said the commitment was reached at a National Microfinance Workshop in 2009 organized by the Reserve Bank and supported by the Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP).
“A key outcome at this workshop was the commitment by all participants to a common vision of reaching at least 150,000 unbanked citizens through a coordinated national effort by the year 2014,” Mr Whiteside said.
“It is extremely encouraging to note that we are on track towards achieving these goals, perhaps even earlier than targeted.”
Mr Whiteside added that up until September, RBF provided this service to more than 51,000 people nationwide.
“About 34 per cent of the 150,000 persons targeted have since had some form of access to basic financial services,” Mr Whiteside said.
“This is due to the efforts of all the stakeholders that are part of this process of enabling an outreach of greater financial inclusion in Fiji.”