01 January 2010: Two of the world’s largest and fastest growing emerging markets are now represented by policymaking bodies in AFI’s ranks.

Central Bank of Brazil and the National Treasury of the Republic of South Africa have long sought to include more of their citizens into the formal financial system as a means of stimulating economic growth and stabilizing the financial systems. The AFI community will benefit from their experience on a variety of policy approaches implemented to this end.

The new membership of Banque Centrale du Congo (of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) reflects renewed interest in francophone Africa where AFI now has nearly a dozen members. This lays the foundation for more activities and engagement in the region in the coming year. Similarly, in the Middle East, the joining of the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan rounds out a growing community of policymakers active in the AFI community in that region.

AFI is pleased to welcome its first member from the Caribbean in the Ministry of Finance and Public Service of Jamaica and hopes to build on this and expand the membership in this region. Links have already been forged between the Jamaican Ministry and members of AFI’s Pacific Islands Working Group to explore similarities and experiences in financial inclusion within the island state context.

There are 67 institutions from 64 countries in the AFI membership.