AFI and Bank Negara Malaysia partnered with the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and the OECD International Network on Education to organize the Financial Inclusion Policymakers Forum (FIPF). The event is set to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-6 April 2011.

Themed “Consumer Protection and Financial Education” the discussions of the forum will focus on the crucial role of consumer protection and financial education amongst the low-income consumers of financial services in the areas of savings, credit, insurance and payments. The aim is to ensure that financial inclusion can enhance consumer welfare and the development of a healthy and responsible market.

FIPF is a platform for policymakers to exchange views with their peers on issues related to the development and promotion of an inclusive financial sector. The two-day forum held at Renaissance Hotel brings together key policymakers and regulators from more than 25 countries who are responsible for the development of more inclusive financial systems and the implementation of consumer protection and financial education strategies.

Highlights of the Forum include the telecast keynote address by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Inclusion Development, H.R.H Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and a Special Address by Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor – Bank Negara Malaysia.

In conjunction with the event will be the launch on 7 April of a new AFI working group known as Consumer Empowerment and Market Conduct (CEMC). The CEMC working group will be established with the aim of providing AFI members with a platform to promote widespread adoption of successful evidence based policies and regulatory solutions for consumer empowerment and protection that contributes to financial inclusion as well to systematically discussing critical and emerging policy and regulatory issues and concerns in these areas.

Participation in FIPF is by invitation only. For more information, contact Mr. A. Kanagalingam (Lingam@bnm.gov.my ) or Mr. Shahhidan Wasli ( wshah@bnm.gov.my ) at Bank Negara Malaysia. For information on the CEMC Working group, please write to cemc@afi-global.org