Sustainable and Inclusive Finance Forum 2020

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

9:00 – 11.30am

MAXIMIZING ISLAMIC FINANCE FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION

Building on two new World Bank reports on Leveraging Islamic Fintech for Financial Inclusion and the case of Islamic Finance and Financial Inclusion in Malaysia, this session will explore the use of Islamic finance instruments to support financial inclusion, including policy, regulatory and institutional elements required for the sustainable use of Islamic finance. This session will be delivered in collaboration with the Islamic Financial Services Board.

• Opening Remarks:
  • Datuk Shaik Abdul Rasheed bin Abdul Ghaffour, Deputy Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
  • Hassan Zaman, Regional Director, East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI), World Bank Group
  • Dr. Bello Lawal Danbatta, Secretary-General, Islamic Financial Services Board
• Keynote Address: Tuan Mohd Shahar bin Abdullah, Deputy Finance Minister of Malaysia
• Launch of The World Bank Reports on Islamic Finance: Islamic Finance and Financial Inclusion in Malaysia Leveraging Islamic Fintech to Improve Financial Inclusion
  • Moderator: Abayomi A. Alawode, Lead Financial Sector Specialist & Head of Islamic Finance, World Bank Group
• Presenters:
  • Islamic Finance: A Catalyst for Financial Inclusion, Aamir A. Rahman, Senior Advisor, United Nations Development Program 
  • Maximizing Islamic FinTech for Financial Inclusion, Rafi-uddin Shikoh, Managing Director, DinarStandard
  • The Role of Regulators in Strengthening Fnancial Inclusion, Dr. Rifki Ismal, Assistant Secretary-General, Islamic Financial Services Board

3:00 - 5:15pm

GREEN FINANCE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

• Opening Remarks: Ma Jun, Chairman of the China Green Finance Committee
• Keynote Speech:
  • Ndiame Diop, Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, World Bank Group
  • H.E. Charles Hay, British High Commissioner to Malaysia
  • Stephen Nolan, Managing Director, UN Environment Financial Centers for Sustainability Network (FC4S)
  • Moderator: Ma Jun, Chairman of China Green Finance Committee

GFLP Session I: Green Recovery in the Post-COVID Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the global economy and will continuously pressure the agenda of sustainable development. How can green finance keep its momentum in the post-COVID era and contribute to economic recovery?

Panel Discussion:

• Ma Jun, Chairman of the China Green Finance Committee
• Dr. Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Environment and Water
• Ken O’Flaherty, CoP26 Regional Ambassador, United Kingdom
• Mercedes Vela Monserrate, Associate Director – International Affairs, Financial Services Regulatory Authority, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
• Moderator: Cecile Thioro Niang, Practice Manager (East Asia and Pacific), Finance Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice, World Bank

Thursday, October 8, 2020

9:00 - 11:30am

TRANSFORMATION OF MALAYSIA’S MONEY SERVICES BUSINESS INDUSTRY

The Money Services Business industry has transformed itself in the past decade through legal and regulatory reforms, the organization of the industry and market development. This session will discuss key milestones in the transformation in Malaysia’s money services business industry since the 2011 Act and lessons for other countries.

• Opening Remarks: Firas Raad, Country Manager for Malaysia, World Bank Group
• Panel Discussion:
  • Nik Mohamed Din bin Nik Musa, Director, Money Services Business Regulation, Bank Negara Malaysia
  • Dato’ Sri Jajakhan bin Kader Gani, President, Malaysia Association of Money Services Business
  • Ramasamy Veeran, Founder and Managing Director, Merchantrade
  • Moderator: Isaku Endo, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Group

3:00 – 5:10pm

GREEN FINANCE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 

GFLP Session II: Green taxonomy and its role for green financial market

Green taxonomies lay the foundation for identifying green financial activities. How are green taxonomies developed and revised to fit into country-specific contexts? How can different taxonomies be harmonized to facilitate green financial flows across borders? This session features experts from the UK, the EU, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China to share their insights on taxonomy development and harmonization.

Opening Remarks: Rekha Reddy, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Group

Panel Discussion:

• Emmanuel Butin, Seconded National Expert on Sustainable Finance, European Commission, DG FISMA
• Nomindari Enkhtur, CEO, Mongolia Sustainable Finance Association
• Aigul Kussaliyeva, Director of Green Finance Intelligence, AIFC Green Finance Centre
• Bolu Wang, Senior Researcher and Green Project Team Lead, Research Center for Green Finance Development at Tsinghua University
• Mariana Esconar Uribe, Advisor, Financial Superintendence of Colombia

GFLP Session III: Biodiversity and Sustainable Farming

In addition to conventional green industries, green finance may have the potential of innovation to support more goals of the UN SDGs, such as biodiversity, sustainable farming, forestation and fishing. This session presents cases on innovations in green finance to facilitate biodiversity protection, sustainable farming, agroforestry, and fishing.

Panel Discussion:

• Wang Yatao, President, Elion Foundation
• Mark Halle, Senior Advisor, UN Environment Financial Centers for Sustainability Network (FC4S)
• Peng Wei, COFCO International 

Friday, October 9, 2020

9:00 - 11:00 am

MALAYSIA'S DOMESTIC BOND MARKET: A SUCCESS STORY

Malaysia has succeeded in creating a vibrant domestic bond market, developing specific segments of the debt capital market, best reflected in infrastructure and Islamic financing. This session will launch a new report by the World Bank documenting the journey in developing Malaysia’s bond market and providing lessons for other countries developing their bond market.

• Host: Cecile Thioro Niang, Practice Manager, Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation, East Asia and Pacific, World Bank Group
• Opening Remarks:
  • Datuk Syed Zaid Albar, Executive Chairman, Securities Commission Malaysia
  • Alfonso Garcia Mora, Vice President for Asia and Pacific, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Launch of The World Bank report on “Malaysia’s Domestic Bond Market: A Success Story”

• Presenters:
  • Ana Maria Aviles, Senior Financial Sector Economist, World Bank Group
  • Swee Ee Ang, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Group
• Panel Discussion:
  • Moderator:  Fiona Stewart, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Group
  • Kamarudin Hashim, Executive Director, Market & Corporate Supervision, Securities Commission Malaysia
  • Dato’ Charon Wardini Mokhzani, Group Managing Director, Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd
  • Siew Suet Ming, Technical Director, RAM Rating Services Berhad
  • Noritaka Akamatsu, Senior Advisor (Retired, ADB) & Independent Consultant