mbarara. i know economics and finance can sometimes feel complicated, but that is why we are here! do not hesitate to ask your questions – no matter how big or small. after all, a financially informed mbarara is a powerful mbarara! let me pause here to reiterate mary therese winifred robinson's belief in collective problem - solving. " to make progress, we have to build a multi - stakeholder process, harnessing the appropriate energies. " please feel free to ask us anything about the bou and our mandate. mwebare munonga! ( thank you very much ). god bless! 5 / 5 bis - central bankers'speeches

via the internet ) threats. we actively promote digital financial literacy and aim to shield users from it and cybersecurity risks. 2 / 5 bis - central bankers'speeches we urge collaboration among stakeholders to mitigate it threats and cyber security risks, enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of electronic financial services. secure and efficient electronic financial services allow us to decrease dependence on physical currency notes and coins, which entail substantial production, transportation, and security costs. as the sole authority to issue the national currency, the bou upholds a clean note policy and ensures widespread access to money. however, producing hard cash is resourceintensive and costly. we advocate for increased mobile money usage and discourage excessive'cashing out'to minimise these expenses. this strategy benefits the environment and supports the growth of digital financial services. embracing these services enhances financial inclusion by encouraging broader participation in the monetary economy. recall that in november 2023, the bou and stakeholders launched the second national financial inclusion strategy ( 2023 - 2028 ), envisioning universal access to and usage of diverse, quality, and affordable formal financial services delivered responsibly and sustainably. the second national financial inclusion strategy has five key pillars to achieve its vision : 1. reduce exclusion and improve access to formal financial services. 2. increase the usage of quality, affordable formal financial products. 3. strengthen financial consumer protection and promote financial literacy. 4. develop an inclusive green finance market. 5. promote gender - inclusive finance. adapting to the ever - changing operating environment, our mission now expands beyond macroeconomic stability to focus on the tangible impact of our actions on people's lives and livelihoods. in addition to securing price stability, reinforcing the financial system, and fostering financial market growth, we now work to incorporate environmental, social, and governance ( esg ) principles and sustainability within the financial sector. we advocate for establishing esg and sustainability principles within the central bank and the banking sector, emphasising the need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including the uganda bankers association. in march 2023, the bou officially launched its sustainability certification process under the sustainability standards and certification initiative ( ssci ) by the european organisation for sustainable development ( eosd ). we are progressing on our sustainability certification journey, pursuing esg standards across our organisation, policies, and operations. 3 / 5 bis - central bankers'speeches the bou has prioritised integrating esg principles and sustainability into