The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) has announced the appointment of Miss Caroline Kanoko as the first female Manager to head the newly established National Financial Inclusion Unit (NFIU) at the bank.

Ms Kanoko who is also the assistant Manager for the Central Banks' International Department was appointed to the new position last week. Her appointment was made due to her extensive experience and expertise in the area of personal finance and financial literacy in the country.

Ms Kanoko, who is from Boe village in Choiseul Province, is a keen community volunteer and promoter of savings among groups. She is involved in group and community programs teaching people personal financial management and financial literacy skills, especially in Honiara and some communities in the provinces. Her particular interest is in encouraging early saving habits among children and is the founder of the Parents and Kids (PK) Saving Club now operating in Honiara.

CBSI believes that the appointment of Ms Kanoko is crucial for national financial Inclusion objectives which targets additional 70,000 new customers to access affordable financial services in the country, within the next 3 years. Thirty thousand (30,000) of these new customers are targeted at the women population and these financial services include mobile phone banking, savings group memberships, memberships to credit unions and the opening of new savings accounts with operating commercial banks.

The appointment of Ms Kanoko as the new Manager means that the NFIU now has two full time person's manning the office. With the support from several other regional groups and partners, the aim to develop a national strategic plan for financial inclusion throughout the country looks positive.

Ms Kanoko holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Art Degree (Economics) from the University of South Pacific. She has worked with CBSI for over fifteen years.