Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and AFI co-hosted 39 representatives from central banks and finance ministries worldwide for the “Access to Financial Services for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Sector” capacity building program on 7-10 May 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants arrived from 22 nations, including Liberia, Fiji, Bhutan, India and Peru.

During the meeting, BNM shared its expertise and experiences on various topics ranging from credit guarantee schemes, credit bureaus and capacity development among SMEs.

AFI member institution the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO) each presented national case studies. RBI’s case study focused on India’s policy and regulatory response to SME finance, while CORFO highlighted the credit guarantee scheme in Chile.

Attendees also heard from international speakers that covered global trends related to micro and SME finance, as well as the role of central banks in SME financing, emergent innovative financing models—e.g. green finance and capital market approaches—and the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) on SME finance and the SME Finance Forum.

The next BNM-AFI capacity building program will be held 18-21 June 2013 on “Managing Payment Systems.” AFI members can find additional information in the AFI Member Zone.