Summary of publication

The mid-term review assesses that the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme is progressing well towards achieving its mission, purpose and outcomes. It highlights as strengths:

• clear and flexible design has allowed managers to adapt implementation considering rapid advances in technology
• effective advocacy with reserve banks in the Pacific so they allowed trial mobile phone banking
• getting donors to effectively cooperate and combine funding for program and project investments.

The review highlights two substantial risks for the rest of the programme:

• as the Pacific telecommunications sector is almost saturated with basic products, mobile operators will need to effectively market new products to stay in business (and continue providing mobile banking services)
• all the projects except Microfinance Network Pacifica are likely to be sustainable, but there is no long-term home for PFIP's role as a leader and advocate for microfinance (e.g. networking, market research and government/regulatory coordination).

Full publication

Pacific Financial Inclusion Program mid-term review [PDF 3.2 MB]