AFI’s Central Asian members, pictured above at the 2024 AFI Global Policy Forum in San Salvador, are making impressive progress in advancing financial inclusion at home and across the region, said AFI Chief Executive Officer, Alfred Hannig, following a week-long visit to the region.  

Dr Hannig met with leaders from the National Bank of Tajikistan, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Markets, and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, to discuss their respective financial inclusion strategies and initiatives. 

“Across the region, digital financial services and the rapid uptake of consumer lending are creating opportunities and challenges for financial inclusion,” said Dr Hannig. “Building financial literacy among this fast-growing customer base, facilitating cooperative measures to counter-fight financial frauds, and ensuring a solid framework for consumer protection and market conduct will be vital. Our members are striking the right balance between unlocking the potential of digital services and ensuring protection on the demand side – being risk aware but not risk averse –  to ensure the financial sector can keep developing while mitigating related risks.” 

Dr Hannig also noted solid progress in advancing key issues such as Inclusive Green Finance, gender inclusive finance, and financial literacy, and members’ commitment to exchanging peer learning through AFI’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Policy Initiative, ensuring that national experiences and insight benefit the wider AFI network. 

You can learn about ECAPI members’ Inclusive Green Finance initiatives here.