Mereseini Tuivuniwai, Regional Manager – Pacific, Alliance for Financial Inclusion

Disbelief washed over me as I stood facing the customer service representative at my mobile wallet provider’s store. I’d come in with a simple request: my account statements for the past three months. “It’ll be $2 per page,” the rep explained. For 20 pages, that added up to $40 Fijian dollars, roughly $18 USD. My own data, my own transactions monetized and locked behind a paywall. To add salt to the wound, the option to email it or make it available digitally was non-existent.  It had to be printed right there in the store.

I felt angry – for myself, and for all those who rely on these services. I was tempted to raise my voice, to challenge the absurdity of it all: why must I pay to access what’s rightfully mine? As someone who dedicates their work to financial inclusion, this was a poignant reminder that systems which are meant to empower can end up erecting barriers. We champion financial inclusion policies at high levels, discussing frameworks and strategies, but it’s in these everyday struggles that the true human cost reveals itself. Imagine being a rural farmer, a single mother, or a young entrepreneur, already navigating economic hardships and facing this added hurdle. It’s not just inconvenient; it’s disheartening, a quiet erosion of trust in the very tools designed to bridge gaps.

Financial inclusion, as we within AFI often emphasize, is multi-dimensional. It’s about more than mere access; it’s ensuring that financial services are safe, sustainable, convenient, and affordable for everyone, regardless of gender, income, education, or location. Advances in technology, like mobile wallets, have been gamechangers in expanding reach to underserved populations; youth, small businesses, rural dwellers, forcibly displaced people, and those with disabilities.

Yet, key gaps persist, often hidden until they touch us personally. In this case, the absence of a simple app feature to view, download, or share e-wallet statements forces customers into physical stores, incurring costs and time. It’s in stark contrast to traditional banks, where internet banking and mobile apps offer seamless, cost-free access to statements. If mobile network operators (MNOs) are stepping into the realm of financial services, handling transactions, savings, and payments, shouldn’t they align with the same standards of accessibility and consumer protection?

And there’s a wider question here: who truly owns customer data? Is the MNO merely a custodian, safeguarding it for our benefit, or have we allowed a system where it’s monetized at the expense of the vulnerable? If we’re committed to consumer protection, that means advocating for differentiated approaches that prioritize user needs. Whether it’s a small business owner seeking to secure a loan, a family tracking expenses amid climate uncertainties, or a young person applying for a visa to work or study abroad, charging for basic data access undermines people’s possibilities, widening divides rather than closing them.

My experience, though personal, echoes the stories of so many, and serves as a call to reflect on the notion of digital exclusion, and to push for change. That must involve our whole ecosystem (regulators, mobile operators, banks, consumer groups) working together to address challenges and gaps. Representative, multi-stakeholder bodies such as Fiji’s National Financial Inclusion Taskforce have important roles to play in coordinating these efforts.  

Ultimately, we need to work together to ensure that digital financial services truly serve all, with empathy at their heart. After all, financial inclusion isn’t just policy; it’s about restoring dignity and hope for every individual striving for a better tomorrow.