Our assessment of international economic developments over the next few quarters has remained largely unchanged since September. The SNB expects the moderate pace of global growth to continue in 2017. It is thus likely that the economic situation will continue to improve, particularly in the euro area, and that inflation will also pick up somewhat. Page 2/5  Berne, 15 December 2016 Thomas Jordan  News conference  Our baseline scenario for the global economy is still subject to considerable risks, however. Structural problems in a number of advanced economies – such as a fragile financial system, high public debt and low growth potential – could negatively affect the outlook. Added to this are a multitude of political uncertainties. First, it is unclear what direction economic policy in the US will take following the presidential election. Second, several countries in the euro area have important elections coming up in 2017. And third, exit negotiations between the UK and the EU are likely to be complex and arduous. Swiss economic outlook  I shall now turn to the economic outlook for Switzerland. According to an initial quarterly estimate, GDP in Switzerland grew at an annualised rate of 0.2% in the third quarter. This small increase must also be seen in the context of high growth in the second quarter. Year-on-year, GDP rose by 1.3% in the third quarter. Initial quarterly estimates of the national accounts are uncertain by definition. The SNB therefore takes a wide range of additional information into account when assessing the economic situation.

On its part, the Bank of Zambia, working with several stakeholders, including Bankers Association of Zambia, has over the years made progress in modernising the payment system. The information technology which serves as a major platform for modern payment systems to operate has also advanced. These developments have set the stage for the development of innovative payment systems capable of serving consumers in a cost effective way. Further, the growth of the number of players as well as the increasing number of initiatives require a robust supporting legal infrastructure to govern the payment system. To this end, the National Payment Systems Act No.1 (NPSA) was enacted in 2007. The NPSA empowered the Bank of Zambia to develop and implement the national payment systems policy so as to promote the efficiency, stability and safety of the Zambian financial system. The Bank of Zambia thus designates players wishing to provide payment services such as money transfer services, mobile banking and other payment services. This process has strengthened the capacity of the BoZ to monitor transactions and to ensure that only safe and efficient institutions are allowed to provide payment services. Distinguished Guests, allow me to conclude by congratulating Ecobank Zambia Limited for the innovative products that we are launching today. We hope that our people can send and receive money conveniently, safely, and at a reasonable cost. I also wish to call upon all banks and financial institutions to emulate Ecobank by introducing such products which contribute to increasing access to banking services for the Zambian people.