Seminar on Financial Inclusion: Trends, Challenges and Policies
Agenda

Registration

Li Kouqing, Deputy Director General, Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center

Opening Remarks - Gary Judd Q.C., ABAC New Zealand, Chairman, ASB Group (ASB Bank and Sovereign Assurance), Co-Chair, Advisory Group on APEC Financial System Capacity-Building

Opening Remarks - John West, Senior Consultant, Capacity Building and Training, Asian Development Bank Institute

Session I: Financial Inclusion Through Microfinance to Support Rebalancing Growth
In the wake of the global financial crisis, developing Asian economies now need to adapt their development strategies and take up the challenge of 'rebalancing growth' away from exports to US and EU markets towards greater reliance on domestic and regional demand. Has the financial crisis adversely affected financial inclusion? How could microfinance facilitate the necessary rebalancing of growth?

Session Chair: Ryu Fukui, Manager, Tokyo Development Learning Center, East Asia and Pacific Region, the World Bank

Speech - Gary Judd Q.C., ABAC New Zealand, Chairman, ASB Group (ASB Bank and Sovereign Assurance), Co-Chair, Advisory Group on APEC Financial System Capacity-Building

Kazuto Tsuji, Executive Technical Advisor, Public Policy Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency

• Paper: Financial Inclusion Through Microfinance to Support Rebalancing Growth [ PDF 23.6KB | 3 pages ]

John West, Senior Consultant, Capacity Building and Training, Asian Development Bank Institute

• Presentation: Financial Inclusion to Support Rebalancing Growth [ PDF 653.2KB | 10 pages ]

Coffee Break

Country Presentations

Choirul Djamhari, Deputy Minister for Business Development and Restructuring, Ministry of Cooperation and Small Medium Enterprises, Indonesia

• Presentation: Strengthening Financial Inclusion and Policies for Rebalancing Growth [ PDF 915.3KB | 13 pages ]

Gil S. Beltran, Undersecretary for Domestic Finance, Philippines

• Presentation: Financial Inclusion Policy Initiatives in the Philippines [ PDF 1.4MB | 16 pages ]

Lu Hong, Researcher, PhD, Research Bureau of the People's Bank of China

• Presentation: Micro-credit Companies in China [ PDF 195.9KB | 15 pages ]

Open Discussion

Lunch and Photo Session

Session II: Financial Inclusion in PR China
As PR China takes its place among those leading the world economy out of global recession, its development strategy has become a success story. The development of PR China's SMEs and manufacturing sector highlight the key role of innovative financial inclusion strategies in unlocking the vast potential of entrepreneurship and human capital. This session aims to showcase PR China's innovative financial inclusion strategies, best practices, and next steps forward.

Session Chair: Peng Runzhong, Director, Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center

Cheng Zhijun, Deputy Director-General, Finance Department, Ministry of Finance, P.R. China

• Presentation: Fiscal Policies in the Development of China's Rural Finance [ PDF 179.1KB | 10 pages ]

Deng Hui, Officer, Cooperative Finance Supervision Department, China Banking Regulatory Commission

• Presentation: On Vigorously Driving Forward the Equalization of Rural Financial Service in China [ PDF 230.1KB | 22 pages ]

Xu Wei, Senior Advisor, Risk Management Department, China Minsheng Bank Corp., Ltd

• Presentation: Serve Underserved Market Segment Profitably [ PDF 315.5KB | 18 pages ]

Coffee Break

Open Discussion

Cocktail Dinner

Session III: Green Microfinance
Adaptation to climate change is an important issue that can be addressed through initiatives such as developing disaster and insurance plans and "climate-proofing" microfinance schemes. In some countries, microfinance institutions have begun providing financing for projects that focus on water supply, and those that introduce and expand renewable energy and sustainable business practices in areas like agriculture and forestry. In this case, how can national governments partner with microfinance institutions in pursuing these targets? For countries wherein governments provide subsidy to farmers to encourage them to use renewable energy and to improve the condition of water supply, what policy measures could optimize microfinance and other innovative financial inclusion strategies?

Session Chair: Li Kouqing, Deputy Director General, Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center

Octavio Peralta, Secretary General, Association of Development Financing Institutions in the Asia Pacific

• Presentation: Green Microfinance Programmes of ADFIAP Member Member-Development Banks in Asia and the Pacific [ PDF 934.7KB | 17 pages ]

Jan Kerer, Weather Insurance Project Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), German Development Cooperation

• Presentation: Project Experience on Green Microfinance [ PDF 442.9KB | 10 pages ]

Shandre M. Thangavelu, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, National University of Singapore

• Presentation: Green Micro-Finance for Green Development in Developing Countries [ PDF 1.3MB | 46 pages ]

Coffee Break

Country Presentations

Shazzad Hossoin, Director, Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Bangladesh

• Presentation: Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) [ PDF 203.9KB | 11 pages ]
• Country Paper: Bangladesh on Green Microfinancing [ PDF 63.5KB | 10 pages ]

Debasish Prusty, Private Secretary to Union Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, India

• Country Presentation: India on Green Micro Finance [ PDF 139KB | 19 pages ]

Don S. Jayaweera, Director General, Department of Development Finance, Sri Lanka

• Presentation: Green Microfinance: Case Study for Sri Lanka [ PDF 949KB | 18 pages ]

Open Discussion

Lunch

Session IV: Mitigating Risks Through Microfinance
Microfinance provides services that help mitigate risks and protect clients from shocks such the most recent economic crisis. While credit/loans help finance enterprises, savings and insurance services help protect profit. In Asia, some MFIs have already begun offering savings and insurance services. What are the prospects for this area of activity? What are the regulatory challenges?

Session Chair: John West, Senior Consultant, Capacity Building and Training, Asian Development Bank Institute

Devendra Gupta, Principal Secretary (Planning), Government of Rajasthan, India

• Presentation: Regulatory Perspective of Financial Inclusion in India [ PDF 251.3KB | 32 pages ]

Ryu Fukui, Manager, Tokyo Development Learning Center, East Asia and Pacific Region, the World Bank

• Presentation: Microfinance as Risk Management for the Poor [ PDF 441.3KB | 15 pages ]

Aristeo A. Dequito, President/CEO, CARD Business Development Services Foundation

• Presentation: Mitigating Risks Through Microfinance: The CARD MRI Business Model [ PDF 1.9MB | 33 pages ]

Heydar Al-Bagdadi, Policy and grant Manager, Alliance for Financial Inclusion

• Presentation: Mitigating Risks Through Microfinance: The Role of Microsavings [ PDF 423.8KB | 12 pages ]

Coffee Break

Country Presentations

Fan Chiah Howe, Manager, SME Policy Design & Development, Central Bank of Malaysia

• Presentation: Overview of Financial Inclusion in Malaysia: Policies, Initiatives and Measures [ PDF 8.4MB | 57 pages ]

Somkid Boolonlear, Head, Financial System Development Sub-Division, Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance, Thailand

• Presentation: Microfinance Development in Thailand [ PDF 245.7KB | 13 pages ]

Ha Tu Anh, Expert of International Cooperation Department, State Bank of Vietnam

• Presentation: Viet Nam: Mitigating Risks through Microfinance [ PDF 748.7KB | 12 pages ]

Vannak Chou, Deputy Director of Financial Department, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cambodia

• Presentation: Financial Inclusion Trend, Challenges and Policies for Rebalancing Growth [ PDF 474.7KB | 23 pages ]

Open Discussion

Session V: Promoting SMME Finance: The Role of Information Sharing Systems and Legal Frameworks for Secured Lending
Small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) form a key component of any effort to promote inclusive growth. Lack of access to finance is a major obstacle to the growth of SMMEs, and the lack of effective information sharing systems and the absence of information on collateral and security rights in movable property are key hurdles to lending in many economies. What path to the development of a regulatory framework works best for differing types of economies? Which avenues to establishing a financial identity are most effective for a given reporting system? How and when should non-financial data be engaged in the early development of credit reporting regimes? What approaches are needed to address key issues related to the legal infrastructure for secured lending?

Session Chair: Yoshihiro Watanabe, Chair, ABAC Finance and Economics Working Group, Advisor, The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., Managing Director, Institute for International Monetary Affairs

Norman Page, Chair, China Practice Group, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

• Presentation: Secured Lending under China's Property and Bankruptcy Laws [ PDF 131.8KB | 20 pages ]

Chen Yew Nah, Managing Director, DP Information Network Pte Ltd.

• Presentation: The Role of Information Sharing Systems and Legal Frameworks for Secured Lending [ PDF 1014.7KB | 24 pages ]

Open Discussion

Coffee Break

Session VI: Concluding Session

What are the main lessons learnt on financial inclusion regarding trends, challenges and policies for rebalancing growth? Which way forward?

Concluding Remarks

Lunch

Optional: Field Trip to the Shanghai Expo