AFI Global Policy Forum - Trade Minister closes off AFI Global Policy Forum

• published: 08 Dec 2014
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September 12, 2014:- Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath, Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications and Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy delivered Closing Remarks at the Closing Ceremony of the 2014 AFI Global Policy Forum on Thursday 11th September, 2014 at 6:15 pm at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain. Bharath noted that ‘this forum also comes at a time when our own Central Bank is celebrating its 50th Anniversary – a good time to reflect on the history that created us and the philosophy that will shape our destiny in the years to come. With your Forum theme being - ‘Global Partnerships, National Goals, Empowering People’, - you will no doubt understand our keen interest in working together for common objectives in empowering people.’ He also sought the opportunity to reinforce Government’s diversification agenda, stating that the Forum theme ‘is very similar to that of the 2015 national budget of Trinidad and Tobago, themed - ‘Empowering our People through Sustained Economic Growth and Prosperity’. Some of the fiscal measures seek to build on the strong leadership position Trinidad & Tobago has achieved in the region’s financial services sector. That leadership is underscored when we note that the Services Sector’s contribution to GDP rose from approximately TT$12.3B in 2011 to an estimated TT$13.1bn in 2012. In fact today, the Financial Services Sector accounts for 15% of our Gross Domestic Product. The financial services sector has been identified by the Government as one of the key areas for economic diversification.’ Also addressing the audience during the Closing Ceremony were Mr. Daniel Schydlowsky, Superintendent, SBS Peru, and incoming Chair of the AFI Steering Committee who expressed his ‘absolute pleasure’ with his stay in Trinidad and Tobago; and Mr. Alfred Hannig, Executive Director, Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI). The Government of Trinidad and Tobago welcomed the opportunity to host the 6th Annual Global Policy Forum - the first time the Forum was hosted in the Caribbean Region. The Global Policy Forum (GPF) is the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)’s annual flagship event which gathers together its members – financial sector policymakers and regulators from developing and emerging countries – and external stakeholders from standard setting bodies, private sector, development community, and the academia, to discuss collaborative ways to advance the financial inclusion agenda globally.