Over 70 delegates from six Pacific central banks have convened in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, to advance financial inclusion across the region.
The Pacific Central Bankers’ Meeting, co-hosted by the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), started yesterday at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre. The Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Hon. ‘Aisake Eke, opened the event, emphasising the role of digital innovation in expanding access to financial services.
“We welcome AFI’s partnership to support our national financial inclusion efforts in the Pacific,” said Prime Minister Eke. “As Pacific Economic Ministers emphasised under the Money Pacific Goals 2025, digital innovation is key to expanding access to financial services.”
The meeting features governors from the central banks of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Tonga, along with officials from Seychelles and Kenya. Governor Ariff Ali of the Reserve Bank of Fiji will hand over the chairperson role to Governor Tatafu Moeaki of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.
A significant highlight is the launch of Tonga’s Fintech Regulatory Sandbox Framework, allowing businesses to test innovative financial products under regulatory supervision. “This is a significant step in enabling safe testing of innovative digital financial solutions tailored to the Pacific context,” said Governor Moeaki.
On 6 June, the meeting will culminate with the endorsement of the Nuku’alofa Pledge, a shared commitment to achieving inclusive, climate-resilient, and economically empowering financial systems. “Our collective response through policy, regulation, and collaboration will shape whether this shift drives inclusion—or deepens exclusion,” stated Dr. Eliki Boletawa, Director of Policy Programs and Implementation at AFI.
The outcomes of this meeting will inform the South Pacific Governors’ Annual Meeting and contribute to preparations for the 2025 AFI Global Policy Forum.
