Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - A day-long SAARCFINANCE seminar began in Dhaka on Monday aiming to ensure sustainable economic growth through boosting the financial inclusion drives in the region.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir inaugurated the seminar this morning as chief guest.
The SAARCFINANCE Cell of Research Department of Bangladesh Bank (BB) organised the daylong SAARCFINANCE seminar on 'Impacts of Mobile Financial Services in the SAARC Region'.
Some of the “renowned economists” along with the chiefs of different research institutions and experienced bankers of the country are attending the session.
Governors and finance secretaries of the SAARC countries or their representatives and high-level delegates from SAARC members’ central banks, officials from various departments of the BB, different ministries of the Bangladesh Government, officials of different institutions related to the theme of the seminar, and some heads of the scheduled banks graced the inaugural session of the seminar.
As one of the important tools of the aspired financial inclusion, Mobile Financial Services (MFS) help unbanked people as well as existing banks’ customers to quickly transfer money and pay different utility and other bills.
“In addition, customers avail credit disbursement, savings and insurance services facilities through MFS,” the statement said.
Different windows of the impact of MFS for accelerating financial inclusion will also be explored through sharing and disseminating experiences of SAARC countries by presenting papers at the seminar.
Besides, this meet will discuss and analyze how more secure and cost-effective remittance inflows among the SAARC member-countries can be brought under the aegis of MFS.
The SAARCFINANCE was formed in October 1998 as a network of central bank governors and finance secretaries of the SAARC region that groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
It is now working to promote cooperation and research, training and exchange of ideas and information on economic and financial issues among its member countries.
BBN/SSR/AD