This week, AFI’s Digital Financial Services (DFS) and Consumer Empowerment and Market Conduct (CEMC) Working Group members are gathering for a joint meeting in Paramaribo, Suriname. The event, co-hosted by the Central Bank of Suriname (CBS) is focusing on the importance of building consumer trust and inclusion — especially for women and vulnerable groups — as digital finance expands.

“Digital financial inclusion cannot succeed without trust, which is built through transparency, fair treatment, effective consumer protection, sound market conduct, and financial capability,” said CBS Governor, Maurice L. Roemer.

“Across our member institutions, financial systems are being reshaped rapidly and in real time,” highlighted AFI’s Director of Policy, Programs and Implementation, Dr Eliki Boletawa. “The real measure of progress is whether financial systems deliver trustworthy and meaningful experiences for the people they are designed to serve.”

The four-day event will explore lessons from Suriname’s own financial inclusion journey, as well as issues around consumer protection, digital payments, AI and data-driven business models, cybersecurity, gender equity and empowerment, and how to safeguard children in the digital era.

This is the second series of physical working group meetings to take place in 2026. In May, AFI’s SME Finance (SMEF) and Global Standards Proportionality (GSP) Working Group members met in Arusha, Tanzania.

The Issues and insights emerging from the Suriname meeting will inform discussions at the upcoming AFI Global Policy Forum in Papua New Guinea.

You can learn more about the DFS and CEMC Working Groups on their websites:

– Digital Financial Services Working Group
– Consumer Empowerment and Market Conduct Working Group