Financial institutions in Asia also had limited exposure to highly leveraged activities, such as complex derivatives and structured credit instruments. Consistent with the more traditional banking models in Asia, there are now calls for a return to basic banking and its clear separation from higher risk-taking activities. The growth of Islamic finance, with its emphasis on the close link between financial transactions and real economic activity and which embraces universal values such as transparency and fairness, further supports this trend. The emphasis on productive financial innovation has also been reinforced by a long standing focus in Asia on promoting effective consumer protection arrangements. In the recent period, this has received renewed attention by authorities given the experience of the recent crisis which has underscored how market conduct failures that led to widespread mis-selling and predatory lending, was not only detrimental to consumers, but also a source of systemic risk. An emphasis on product transparency and disclosure, responsible sales and marketing practices as well as investment in financial education have served to better align the interests of financial institutions and consumers, thus reducing the potential for harmful practices. Asian economies have also taken steps to strengthen the financial safety net including deposit insurance, while putting in place institutional arrangements for debt counselling and restructuring. These measures can contribute towards pre-empting widespread defaults particularly during periods of stress. Second is the continued commitment and sustained progress in the development of strong regulatory and supervisory systems for the financial sector.

At the same time, the standards will also require banks to significantly strengthen their liquidity and funding positions in order to support orderly credit intermediation processes. Concerns have however been raised about the unintended consequences that may arise from the implementation of these standards – including potential ramifications on the real economy – and therefore the need for the reforms to be  2  BIS central bankers’ speeches  implemented cautiously. This underscores the importance of conducting impact and behavioural studies during the transition period, and the need to consider how the national implementation of the global standards should reflect domestic experiences and circumstances. Third is the high priority placed on the pursuit of a balanced and equitable growth through the financial inclusion agenda as a key component of Asia’s overall strategy for sustaining medium and long-term economic progress. At its core, the financial inclusion agenda seeks to empower all individuals, irrespective of income level, economic activity or geography, to have the means and opportunity to undertake financial transactions, generate income, accumulate assets and to financially protect themselves against unexpected adverse events. Countries in this region have been active in pioneering sustainable financial inclusion tools and models. Due in large part to a strong public policy focus on promoting an inclusive financial sector, the financial industry in Asia is also more attuned to financial inclusion objectives in their business outlook.