The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon Bernie Ripoll MP, today returned from three days of meetings at the annual Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers' Meeting (FEMM), held in Tarawa, Kiribati, where he was head of the Australian delegation.
"FEMM was an excellent opportunity to share reform experiences and discuss the ongoing economic challenges facing the Pacific region", Mr Ripoll said.
"It was promising to hear about measures being taken by Forum island countries to broaden their economic bases and make their economies more resilient to economic shocks."
"As Economic Ministers, I was particularly encouraged by the commitment we're making to improve the economic empowerment of women by commissioning a comprehensive assessment of the enabling environment for women's economic participation in the region."
Mr Ripoll provided Economic Ministers with an update on the recent G20 meeting in Los Cabos and the work being done to reduce the cost of sending remittances to the Pacific, including Australia's efforts at the G20 and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Mr Ripoll also said that the Australian Government understood the important role that remittances play in many Pacific Island communities and would continue to work to make it easier for people to send money back home.
"We will continue to support reductions in the cost of remittances through a number of means, including engaging at international forums and with the private sector, encouraging increased remittances flows under the Seasonal Worker Program, and implementing projects under our Financial Services for the Poor aid strategy," he explained.
In addition to attending bilateral meetings with the Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand and Solomon Islands, Mr Ripoll attended a number of formal and informal meetings with counterparts from across the region.
6 July 2012