Digital technology transforms banking
Remittances among services improved in pandemic, aiding nations, forum told
The coronavirus pandemic has spurred advances in financial services, and the benefits of such innovation are being felt in the Pacific island nation of Tonga.
For Leta Kami, CEO of the Tonga Development Bank, digital banking service has provided huge support for Tongans working overseas during the pandemic. The Kingdom of Tonga is highly dependent on remittances, Kami told a panel on the second day of the Asian Financial Forum, on Tuesday. Tonga is one of the world s most remittance-dependent nations. They make up about 38 percent of its GDP.
PACER Plus: Why it Matters Now People are at the heart of Australia’s partnerships in the Pacific. Greater economic integration will bring people closer together, underpin recovery, and build a region that is more stable, prosperous and secure – for all of us.
Source: Twitter Wednesday, 16 December 2020 10:22 AM
The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus – or PACER Plus – entered into force on 13 December, marking the start of a new journey in which parties will determine and co-deliver their own priorities for increasing trade across the Pacific.
In a milestone for Pacific regional development, PACER Plus provides a new platform to support economic recovery. The fact that four of the eight Pacific partners that have ratified PACER Plus so far did so during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the value they place on the agreement in these most challenging times.