to see the ever increasing interest of youths, their teachers and professors in our educational activities. we are surprised with the particular interest of universities related to the current issues and their impact on the albanian economy, and the large number of projects, videos and drawings that pupils and high school students have presented at the bank of albania. today, we will see and award some of them. nevertheless, i would like to point out that the participation and engagement of all participants was impressive. concluding, i would like to thank all participants and the collaborators of the bank of albania in its educational initiatives and programmes, particularly for the global money week. we are grateful that in this week, as participants, you have become partner of the central bank, joining us in the work to face important challenges to the society. also, we are aware that these themes, like prudential and proactive approach to the world of finances, are a precondition for a safe and prosperous future, and the ever increasing participation in such annual activities makes as optimistic for this new generation being aware and interested for acquiring a better education. the bank of albania, as the central institution in these fields as well, is ready and committed to collaborate with every institution aiming at bolstering the financial literacy and financial inclusion of the public. i avail this opportunity to extend may heartiest thank you for your contribution, wishing all participants success in everything they do! 3 / 3 bis central bankers'speeches

and react to policy makers ’ messages. thus, the supportive polices undertaken will become more effective and support more strongly the mitigation of negative shocks. being aware and making the right financial selections, everyone – banks, institutions, enterprises, households and individuals – may play an important role in dealing with the consequences of extraordinary situations that the world is suffering. this educational campaign of global money week is an excellent event to recall certain messages that the bank of albania has addressed extensively, turning them into an important part of its efforts for meeting the objectives and preserving the economic and financial stability. i would like to point out three main messages, which nowadays, due to the geopolitical and financial situation become more meaningful. first, i would like to emphasise the importance of using the national currency against foreign currencies. lek plays a crucial and direct role in transmitting the positive effects of monetary policy to our economy. the higher the use of lek, the bigger is the part of economy which feels the effects of the central bank ’ s policies. furthermore, the use of the national currency helps to amortise the shocks that steam from external sector through minimising the shocks on income, consumption and investments. the broad use of foreign currencies alongside the national one has important negative impacts, on both the effectiveness of economic policies and financial stability. particularly, in this period, while global developments, ambiguity and the change in monetary policy stance may give rise to additional risks to the exchange rate. these risks destabilise and expose the balance sheets of private sector against the fluctuations of the exchange rate. in simple words, the less you use the foreign currency ; the lower is the exposure to the exchange rate risk, which nowadays is even higher. the stability of financial institutions, enterprises and households contributes in the monetary policy pass through and macroeconomic stability. second, i would like to re - emphasise the importance of growing and promoting financial literacy as a counter - response to informality. this objective belongs to the central banks, and to all economic agents, educational institutions and media, to enhancing financial awareness and ability of public. these joint efforts, in addition to strengthening the monetary policy effectiveness, directly affect the financial inclusions of population. it means that : an increase in the number of users of safer financial products and services and at low cost drives to an increased access in financial sources, and consequently the growth of possibilities, income, and the quality of life. formal markets are the sole possibility