Announcement of Confirmed Speakers for the BNM-IFSB Financial Inclusion Advisers (FIA) Programme and Seminar on Islamic Microfinance

Announcement of Confirmed Speakers for the BNM-IFSB Financial Inclusion Advisers (FIA) Programme and Seminar on Islamic Microfinance

Kuala Lumpur, 13 August 2012 – Bangladesh Bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Central Bank of Sudan and Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank have confirmed their participation as speakers for the IFSB Seminar on Islamic Microfinance that will be held on 30 August 2012, as part of the BNM-IFSB Financial Inclusion Advisers (FIA) Programme and Seminar on Islamic Microfinance. The four-day programme wil be held on 27 to 30 August 2012 at Sasana Kijang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This programme is jointly organised by the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).

The four-day programme is aimed at developing economies which have an interest in promoting financial inclusion and micro-financial business as a sector of the formal economy. The objectives of the programme are to:

1. assist in developing institutional structures to provide micro-financial services and provide direction in operationalising them;
2. assist financial institutions and central banks in developing the enabling environment to effectively engage the informal sectors of the economy that need financing; and
3. assist in enhancing financial literacy and awareness on financial inclusion, and microfinance (conventional and Islamic).

Prominent speakers, including experts in Islamic microfinance and financial inclusion will discuss and explore the achievements and challenges in the two areas, particularly from the regulatory and supervisory perspectives.

Among confirmed organisations and speakers for the Programme include:

1. Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) – Mr. Gabriel Davel, Director for Financial Inclusion Policy
2. Bangladesh Bank – Mr. Fazlur Rahman, General Manager, Common Services Department
3. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – Mr. Gerardo A. Butardo, Deputy Director, MSME Finance Specialist Group
4. Bank Simpanan Nasional, Malaysia – Ms. Nilammasri binti Ja’afar, Senior Vice President and Head of Microfinance
5. Bank Simpanan Nasional, Malaysia – Mr. Azaddin bin Ngah Tahir
6. Central Bank of Sudan – Dr. Badr Eldin Gurashi Mustafa, General Manager, Banking System Development and Regulation Department
7. Central Bank of Sudan – Prof. BadrEldin A. Ibrahim, President of Microfinance Unit
8. Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), The World Bank – Mr. Michael Tarazi, Senior Policy Specialist
9. Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), The World Bank – Mr. Eric Duflos, Regional Representative for East Asia and the Pacific
10. Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) – Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi Omar, Director General
11. International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA), Malaysia – Prof. Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dasuki, Head of Research Affair
12. Malaysian Deposit Insurance Corporation (MDIC) – Mr. Khairuddin Hj. Arshad, Chief Operating Officer

Other speakers include senior representatives from Credit Guarantee Corporation Berhad, Asian Institute of Finance and BNM.

The IFSB and BNM are inviting banking and non-banking institutions, Government ministries and departments responsible for domestic trade and small business, central bank regulators with regulatory oversight of financial inclusion, micro-financing and Islamic financial services.

Please visit the IFSB website at www.ifsb.org or email [email protected] for more information on the FIA Programme and Seminar or to register for this event.