has trained staff from bank of uganda, capital markets authority, uganda securities exchange, and the micro - finance sector. micro - finance institutions are now universally recognised as important tools in the fight against poverty. they extend micro - credits to the poor and vulnerable, and such small credits have economically and financially transformed the lives of the poor. over the last four years, mr rhode has been at the centre of this microfinance revolution. he has worked closely with the association of micro - finance institutions in uganda ( amfiu ) and other related organisations to build capacity and facilitate the micro - finance sector to offer and deliver professional and cost - effective services. mr. rhode, we would like to thank you not only associating with the poor, but also positively contributing to their economic transformation and well - being. in conclusion, i must state that bank of uganda has immensely benefited from mr. rhode's breadth of experience, depth of knowledge and his singular focus and commitment to the success of the fsd programme. he has propelled the national payment system, microfinance sector and the entire financial sector to greater heights. indeed, his performance and record of achievements during his tenure have been both impressive and outstanding. as we bid farewell to mr. rhode, bank of uganda wishes to underscore its appreciation to the german government through the gtz / fsd for the support uganda has received since the inception of the fsd programme. i understand that mr. rhode is retiring to the serene and scenic beauty of cape town. for a man whose career has not only been outstanding, but also dedicated to serving the poor, the vulnerable and the underprivileged in such countries as nepal, zambia and uganda, there are probably not many places that would compete with cape town. as you explore the picturesque surroundings of cape town, its imposing mountain ranges and its world class wineries, please always remember that uganda's financial sector will always treasure your contribution. thank you peter, and may god bless you.

##ing its own approach and sharpening its focus on crisis prevention, management, and resolution. standards and codes of best practices have been introduced - the work coordinated by the imf, world bank, bis, oecd and other international experts, underpinned by the financial sector assessment program. the basel committee has introduced the new basel capital accord, the evolutionary supervisory framework. supervision is directed away from rule - based guidelines to a more comprehensive risk - based calculation of capital adequacy, methodologies on operational risk, supervisory review process, and market discipline. these are just a few examples of the important work accomplished by the international financial institutions and various experts. your presence here at this conference is the best testament to how the solutions and ways for crisis prevention are still evolving, situations being reassessed, and tools being refined. ladies and gentlemen, there has been a saying that “ every crisis is a new crisis ” - we don't have the same kind of crisis twice - and this indeed is a scary thought. we can come up with a how - to book on solving banking problems and crisis resolution, but the challenges are still enormous. i would like to reiterate the point made earlier that prevention is key because once a weak bank explodes into a full - blown crisis, the depth and complexity of problems could be of the magnitude that is unimaginable. it is with these thoughts in mind that i would have to sum up with this simple message : a supervisor can never be complacent. ladies and gentlemen, the asian crisis started from thailand slightly over six years ago, and it induced a train of international coordination programs and discussions to prevent a recurrence and means to manage it. i hope this conference will add to our knowledge of supervisory tools that can aid participating supervisors to better meet the challenges of weak bank resolution and systemic crisis regardless of the stages of economic development and forms of financial system. i am happy that thailand is the venue of, and is host to, this conference - a commendable international effort to bring us all closer to our aspiration of a sound and stable financial system. may i take this opportunity to thank the fsi and bis for allowing us to take part in this event and for the excellent cooperation over the years. our compliments to mr. jason george and his team for their very efficient organization of this event. i wish you all a successful conference. thank you.