Tasia Da Costa Quelhas and Josué Toho were two of 24 participants in the 2018 edition of the Certificate in Law and Regulation of Inclusive Finance, a programme that they described as a “perfect fit” for their work in this field in Mozambique and Benin.
The Certificate in Law and Regulation of Inclusive Finance (CIF) is organised in cooperation with Luxembourg microfinance NGO “Appui au Développment Autonome” (ADA) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute. Hosted over two weeks, it offers classes on regulatory supervision, law and ethics, investment vehicles and banking law, enabling an exchange between scholars, regulators and financial intermediaries, facilitating academic and non-academic cooperation.
“Coming from the commercial side, it was very interesting for me to be in a room with so many regulators,” explained Ms Da Costa Quelhas who works in compliance at M-Pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer, financing and microfinancing service in Mozambique. “Mobile money is a relatively new development. I meet a lot of regulators and this programme has helped me see things from a different perspective,” she said, adding that she hopes the Mozambique regulator will attend in future to even further enhance the collaboration.
For Mr Toho, who serves as an advisor to the Benin government on an inclusive finance strategy, the programme delivered important “input on law, regulation – all different aspects of financial inclusion,” he said, adding that the sharing of experiences was a key highlight for him. “Coming from the regulatory side, it was good to hear how people are doing on the ground, what might be the next steps and keeping in touch with reality.”
The CIF has also heightened their knowledge of Luxembourg as an actor in the inclusive finance field. “It’s exceeded my expectations,” concluded Mr Toho.
The cohort of 24 students successfully completed the CIF after two weeks of study on 25 January, with a reception hosted at the EIB to mark the occasion. Course Director and ADA Chair in Financial Law (Inclusive Finance), Prof. Dirk Zetzsche, was joined by ADA Director Olivier Massart and the Dean of the EIB Institute, Francisco de Paula Coelho, in presenting the participants with their certificates of completion.
For more information about the CIF and to express your interest in the 2019 edition, please visit the programme website.
