brian wynter : promoting financial inclusion through public education and awareness remarks by mr brian wynter, governor of the bank of jamaica, at the jdic financial markets symposium, kingston, 29 august 2013. * * * moderator ; minister peter phillips ; mr thomas, chairman of the jamaica deposit insurance corporation ; ms mckain, ceo, jdic ; special guests, colleagues, ladies and gentleman, good morning. today, we are “ promoting financial inclusion through public education and awareness. ” according to the united nations, more than half the population of developing countries in 2010 was financially excluded. in the case of jamaica, the world bank ’ s global findex indicates that, for 2011, about 71 per cent of jamaicans had some form of access to banking services. this is a lot better than the average of 57 per cent for latin america and the caribbean but, clearly, we can do more to improve the ease of access to financial services for jamaicans and promote more active and appropriate use of financial services for the un - banked and the under - banked. so, while i am delighted to bring greetings to the jdic on this occasion marking their 15th year of operation, bank of jamaica is especially pleased to have the opportunity to join in partnership with jdic, the financial services commission, and the jamaica stock exchange, to host this financial markets symposium and fair. it is generally thought that, through increased access to financial services, the financially excluded can better undertake business activities, manage risks, and build financial security. financial inclusion thereby helps to reduce poverty and improve economic opportunity ; it promotes inclusive growth. so what are the elements of financial inclusion, and how do they intersect with the work of bank of jamaica and jdic? financial inclusion broadly refers to the offer of goodquality financial services to the unbanked in a timely manner, at affordable prices, and through appropriate, effective channels. a recent popular channel for this type of delivery has been low cost technologies such as mobile phones. some of the more prominent models of this form of service are to be found in the philippines, kenya, pakistan, and mexico, and we in jamaica are making progress on our own models, with the release by bank of jamaica of the retail payment services guidelines, and the mobile money pilot project by development bank of jamaica, that is currently in train with the approval of bank of jamaica. the introduction of credit bureaus is another important element in improving access to credit. one of the two

richard byles : opening remarks - press conference on new banknotes opening remarks by mr richard byles, governor of the bank of jamaica, at the press conference on new banknotes, kingston, 15 december 2022. * * * bank of jamaica is pleased to announce the launch of jamaica's new series of banknotes. jamaica's banknotes are a true representation of our country's rich history, culture, major economic activities, values and the best traditions and aspirations of its people. they have also heralded essential social hallmarks such as our diversity and inclusiveness, as is eloquently expressed in our motto : " out of many, one people ", and suitably displayed in the iconic photograph of the school children of central branch primary school. in this new series, we have sought to modernize and upgrade the banknotes ensuring that while they are representative, relevant and forward - looking, every jamaican can and will be proud of the final products. this new series of banknotes is comprised of six denominations including the introduction of a $ 2, 000 note. the upgrade of jamaica's banknotes is aimed at achieving several objectives. 1. enhancing the security features of the banknotes to prevent counterfeiting counterfeiters are now using more sophisticated technology to threaten banknote security worldwide. in order to remain ahead of counterfeiters and more effectively mitigate and manage the risks associated with counterfeiting, bank of jamaica has enhanced the integrity of jamaica's banknotes by incorporating more state - of - the - art security features in the new series of notes. 2. enhancing features for the visually impaired the banknotes already in circulation have features which are specially designed to improve their recognition and use by members of the community of visually impaired persons. these features include large numbering and tactile or raised printing that is easily recognised by touching and feeling. the new banknotes include the use of a more durable substrate or base material, which is utilised in the features designed for visually impaired persons. this will result in a longer lifespan of the raised touch and feel features. 3. ensuring a clear distinction among the different denominations 1 / 2 bis - central bankers'speeches there are concerns among members of the public that the existing $ 500 and $ 5, 000 banknotes are not easily distinguishable especially in low - light conditions. by giving each banknote distinctly different colours, the redesign of the notes ensures that each denomination can be easily and clearly recognised and distinguished from other