About this learning event

At this webinar, we will explore good practices where central banks, ministries of finance, financial supervisory authorities and other institutions can promote financial literacy and its inclusion in the financial system. We will discuss new technologies and innovations that can strengthen financial inclusion of the population, and look into the potential arising threats from the use of new technologies and new players in the payment services.

The event will serve as a platform to present and discuss country cases in the context of actual challenges. We will speak about:

• elements of financial inclusion and ways to foster it
• motivation for central banks and other institutions to work on financial inclusion
• financial innovation and in what way it can foster financial inclusion
• role of financial education
• specific aspects in the region and recent challenges in South East Europe

We will hear how Covid-19 impacted on financial sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of usage of digital payment channels. We will also hear on the current status and development trends for Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina payments systems in order to accommodate changes in payments landscape. Furthermore, we will discuss financial education and its role in promoting financial inclusion as well as what changes have been taken in focus of financial education and inclusion due to recent pandemics.

We will also hear on the status of financial inclusion in Moldova and their plans for fostering financial inclusion and the newly established division focusing on financial education. We will discuss the plans of modernizing existing payment systems as well as hear on prospects with instant and electronic payments, establishment of basic payment account, etc.

Faculty

• Almir Salihović, Head of the Education, Professional Development and Benefits Section, Human Resources Department, Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Almir has been a member of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH) family for more than 20 years. Over this period he held various positions in the Public Relations Section of the Bank, followed by more than a decade of engagement in the Office of the Governor, where he held the position of Head of Governors Office. He currently holds the position of Head of the Education, Professional Development and Benefits Section in the Human Resources Department.
Over the years of his professional affiliation with the CBBH, he was involved in many projects related to the public image of the Central Bank – most notably in the domain of online presence, public relations, and financial education. He was a member and/or leader on several projects, such as two iterations of complete CBBH website overhaul, as well as of the team which established a new online dissemination web app for statistical data based on BI software. As part of his financial education engagement, he led the effort for the setup of the financial education website of the CBBH and provided contributions in the process of building the CBBH social networks presence. 
Since 2018, he is the team leader of the CBBH’s Financial Education and Inclusion Expert Team, which has organized numerous events, lectures and produced online and printed material for the financial education of elementary and high-school children and university students.

• Halid Tvico, Head of Oversight and Development of Payment Systems, Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Halid is in charge of monitoring and assessment of overseen payment systems, monitoring of trends in the field of payment systems and if needed initiate the necessary changes in order to add new value for the market in this segment (catalyst role). He is in the current position since July 2021. He has gathered 13 years of experience in central banking also in other positions, such as Head of Operational Payment Systems Section (August 2017 – July 2021) and Head of Back Office (August 2016–July 2017). He has attended a number of educations and conferences in the field of payment systems.

• Cristian Onica, Principal Expert, Department of Payment Systems, National Bank of Moldova

Cristian is part of the team of the Payment Systems Department at the National Bank of Moldova for more than three years. He is in charge of licensing of payment service providers, regulation and development of payment systems, payment services and instruments, and is passionate about monitoring and assessment of payment systems data and trends. He has been a presenter at various national events regarding payment services and financial education in Moldova and has attended a number of trainings in payment systems and payment services.

Target audience

Officials of payment and settlement systems departments of central banks, officials working on financial education at central banks, financial supervisory authorities, ministries of finance and other competent authorities.

Partners

This learning initiative was supported by: