only in our region, but in the world. nevertheless, we do not allow ourselves to become complacent, as the post - crisis era in which we currently find ourselves, has its own set of challenges that we need to deal with. the title of our 40th anniversary exhibition, “ a modern central bank with a focus on financial empowerment ”, speaks to the new challenges that we are tackling. while our objective to promote domestic price stability, our vision to become a model central bank and our mission to contribute towards the economic growth and development of seychelles, all remain unchanged, we are keenly aware that we need to constantly evolve to meet public expectati ons and to keep abreast with innovation in the financial sector. it is of utmost importance that as a central bank, we modernize the way we deliver our mandate and ensure that we provide the public with the capacity to understand the newer products and services that are at their disposal, to enable them to make informed decisions. ladies and gentlemen, innovation and the introduction of newer products alone can only take us so far. what has enabled the success of the central bank of seychelles is the hard work, conviction and dedication of its staff. today, we have 200 men and women who work tirelessly around the clock to ensure the stability of our financial sector. i would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of these 200 individuals, as well as the former governors and staff members for their contribution to the development and growth of the central bank of seychelles. the display in today ’ s exhibition is a testament to the achievements of all those who have had the privilege to walk the halls of the central bank building. it also showcases the evolution of the central bank over the past 40 years and indicates of the path that we aim to follow in the coming decades. on this note, i would like to officially declare this exhibition open and invite you all to peruse through the contents and interact with our member s of staff who are on hand to respond to any queries that you may have. thank you.

##sise that consumer education, consumer empowerment is fundamental across all levels. financially literate and empowered consumers interact more effectively and assertively with financial services providers, ultimately leading to them attaining their financial objectives. essentially, consumer empowerment is instrumental in supporting financial inclusion policies. now, whilst it is important for consumers to assume the responsibility of acquiring the necessary financial knowledge and skills, it is important to reiterate that authorities and financial institutions should devote resources and work towards establishing mechanisms that support financial consumer empowerment. lastly, i would like to take this opportunity to thank afi for organising such forums as they provide us, policy makers with the opportunities to exchange experiences on the different policy decisions taken in our own jurisdictions. years ago, productivity was attributed to those who retained the most knowledge. today, however, productivity and efficiency is attributed to combining expertise with the experience and intelligence of peers discharging similar functions. let us continue to learn from each and showcase the results that our forum, the alliance for financial inclusion can bring to the world stage. we in seychelles, we are very fortunate to have you on our shores at this present time as the subject matters on the agenda are very pertinent to our country. i encourage my colleagues from the central bank and the two respective government ministries to have maximum participation and interaction. ladies and gentlemen, i would like to thank you for your attention and i wish you all fruitful deliberations over the course of the coming days and to our foreign guests an enjoyable stay in seychelles. thank you.