The Banque de la Republique du Burundi (BRB), together with AFI, co-hosted a national workshop on 19-20 November 2013 in Bujumbura, Burundi, to discuss a variety of possible policy solutions to promote financial inclusion and the actions that should be undertaken. The workshop was part of a grant BRB received from AFI to develop and launch its national financial inclusion strategy.

“We reaffirm our commitment to participate in the AFI Network, and to continue to share our experiences in AFI activities in the future,” said BRB Governor Jean Cyza at the opening of the conference.

The workshop reflected the growing knowledge on financial inclusion policy solutions with 13 AFI members represented and each making a substantial presentation on the relevant subjects, and with every East African country contributing to the discussions also reflecting a strong regional knowledge base.

“Burundi is not alone, financial exclusion is a global phenomenon and AFI members have practical solutions at hand” said Alfred Hannig, Executive Director of AFI.

The exchange of financial inclusion ideas and experiences was further complimented with valuable contributions from a variety of other stakeholders within Burundi, giving all participants a full picture of the policy solutions and challenges.

The organization of a national workshop on financial inclusion policy options based on a national survey is new territory for AFI. However, it reflects the AFI member commitment to the practical peer learning cooperation model upon which the network was founded. AFI will be carefully evaluating the results of this workshop and will use the best lessons of this experience in support of potential future activities on the national level, both in Burundi in other nations with AFI members.

At the conclusion of the workshop participants thanked BRB for organizing an insightful event and the AFI members who participated and shared their experiences expressed their continued support for the AFI Network.

“I can find here many from the AFI family,” declared Cheikh Bamba Fall from the Ministry of Finance of Senegal.

Through events such as this, the AFI ‘family’ of policymakers remains dedicated to helping the world’s poor through smart financial inclusion policy.