The 2021 report comes at a unique point in time. Even though the pandemic was already ongoing in 2020, the impact of the pandemic was not yet quantifiable in terms of the financial inclusion data and indicators collected.

For 2021 though, there are clear trends emerging, some of which is longer term and has been ongoing, but others arguably being more directly related to the impact of events over the course of 2020 and 2021. In recognising the deep social changes that has emerged as a result of the pandemic and seeking to build back better towards a more inclusive future, the 2021 tracking report seeks to embed the critical supporting role of financial inclusion in achieving the vision of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 within the context of inclusive growth.

This report serves as an annual reflection on progress on these measurable indicators on financial inclusion, based on an assessment of data availability and collection processes at national level. This flexible reporting framework enables an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the NFIS at country level to achieve desired outcomes, which aids policy making and inform adjustments required in NFIS implementation. At a regional level, the framework and reporting process allows monitoring of regional progress, while the platform for cooperation also serve to identify areas for knowledge exchange among AMS.

The countries in focus for this monitoring report:

• Brunei Darussalam
• Cambodia
• Indonesia
• Lao PDR
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Viet Nam