To aid the process of developing the financial markets, Bank Negara Malaysia has recently developed a website on the Islamic money market as a source of information on domestic Islamic financial instruments and to facilitate investment decisions and secure public confidence in their investment. The website aims to effectively meet the needs of bankers, financiers, statisticians, economists and prospective investors as well as increase awareness of the users - domestic and foreign. Moving forward, the website will be linked with other markets to serve as a platform for exchanging information and knowledge beyond our borders. The existence of a well-developed capital market is also important to provide users of capital with an alternative and cost efficient source of medium and long-term financing. It would also provide investors and savers with a wider range of financial instruments to suit their individual return and risk profiles as well as allow for better diversification of risks in the financial system. One of the linkages in this market is asset securitisation. Mortgage financing is an example of where the asset liability mismatch can be addressed. This would substantially improve the liquidity and quality of assets of the banking institutions, while at the same time contribute towards promoting the development of the capital market and secondary trading of instruments through the issuance mortgage-backed private debt securities. Over the years, the scope of securitisation activities can evolve and expand with the introduction of securitisation of Islamic hire and purchase or leased assets ending with ownership, and other types of leased financing.

Being utilised little as resources for the economic and social development of the country, remittances may have led to individual, family or local dependency. During the first stage of transition in Albania policies for optimising the administration and utilisation of workers’ remittances for developing purposes have been completely lacking. A few sporadic measures have aimed at driving workers’ remittances into official channels and improving savings and investments incentives of emigrants in the country but have been by and large inadequate. More recently, the Albanian government has taken a more attentive approach toward remittances and their potential contributions in financing the growth and development of the country. With the assistance of the European Union by means of CARDS program, and the support of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), this year the Albanian government has compiled two important documents regarding migration and remittances issues, called: National Strategy of Migration and Action Plan. The main objectives are: (i) the review of remittances flows and (ii) the identification of political constraints and institutional and regulative framework that influence these inflows, in order to: •  increase the volume of remittances;  •  help shifting them into formal channels; and  •  enhance their use in support of country’s economic growth. Bank of Albania role in achieving these objectives consists primarily in maintaining the macroeconomic and financial stability, which constitute important preconditions for the success of any policy related to workers’ remittances.