Digital financial services and household accounting in rural Fiji

Finau, Glen and Rika, Nacanieli J. and Samuwai, Jale and McGoon, James (2015) Digital financial services and household accounting in rural Fiji. [Conference Proceedings]

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Abstract

A major priority of the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) is to increase financial inclusion of rural peoples – i.e. provide rural dwellers with improved access to financial services. This issue is important because rural Fijians, who account for 49.2% of Fiji’s population, rely significantly on remittances from family and relatives
working in urban areas or foreign countries. Indeed, these remittances may be the only source of income for some rural dwellers. Improving financial inclusion can reduce poverty and improve social welfare. While much has been written
on financial inclusion in developed countries, scant literature exists regarding the success and efficacy of financial inclusion strategies in Pacific Islands Countries.
This study contributes to the limited but growing literature on financial inclusion in the Pacific by examining rural dwellers’ perceptions of rural banking and Digital Financial Services in Fiji and identifying factors which enhance or impeded their uptake of these services. It will also examine how these services complement or
substitute household accounting systems. The first stage of the study involved interviews with the Central Bank, Mobile Network Operators, Commercial Banks and other stakeholders. The second stage involves a survey and subsequent follow‐up interviews in rural areas of Vanua Levu. The findings may assist commercial banks and MNOs in designing DFS that better meet the needs of those living on Fiji’s outer margins. They may also inform government and the regulators on potential revisions to regulatory mechanisms for financial inclusion.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5601 Accounting
Divisions:	Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Accounting and Finance
Depositing User:	Glen Finau
Date Deposited:	03 Feb 2016 23:33
Last Modified:	18 Jun 2018 01:42
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/8648

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