. as a result of these measures, we witnessed robust economic recovery as gdp growth stood at 4. 03 % in the 3rd quarter of 2021, following the 5. 01 % growth recorded in the 2nd quarter of 2021. the economy has remained on a positive growth path for four consecutive quarters after the recession in the 3rd quarter of 2020. 41 out of the 46 sectors assessed in the 3rd quarter by nbs, recorded positive growth, as growth was driven by significant improvements in the non - oil sector, particularly, agriculture manufacturing, trade, ict, construction, finance and transportation. we have also witnessed a gradual recovery in manufacturing output growth as the manufacturing pmi index rose to 47. 3 points in october 2021 from 44. 9 in january 2021. 28. our interventions particularly in the manufacturing and the agriculture sectors significantly helped to encourage continuous improvements in growth in these two key sectors of our economy. today, our food production systems have become more sustainable due to the improved output at our farms and local factories. output of staple commodities such as rice, maize, palm oil and tomatoes have grown significantly, and we have also seen increased efforts of our local manufacturing firms to engage in backward integration efforts. second, a visit to any major retail chain will reveal an increasing number of high quality made in nigeria products relative to imported goods, which is helping to increase domestic production, generate employment and wealth in our country. if these intervention efforts were not carried out by the monetary and fiscal authorities, our economy would have been in a grim state. inflation 29. inflation has continued to moderate for seven consecutive months, as it declined from 18. 17 percent in march 2021 to 15. 9 percent in october 2021 supported by improved output of staple food items. inflation however still remains above our benchmark, which means efforts must continue to be made to slow down the pace of the rise in prices. external reserves 30. supported by our demand management policy, in addition to support from the successful issuance of the $ 4bn eurobond and the imf sdr, our external reserves today stands at over $ 41. 4bn which is enough to support 9 months of imports. this is not just a morale booster for both foreign direct and portfolio investors willing to invest in the economy, but it provides significant fire power to support our domestic industries that need to import critical machines and equipment for domestic production and exports exchange rate 31. as a result of our demand management policy, the naira has remained largely stable around n411 /

adults in the future. distinguished guests sustainable finance can only be effectively entrenched when individual financial decisions are aligned to sustainable practices. individual behaviours are shaped early in life, therefore the focus on financial education being incorporated in our education system is quite critical. as part of the implementation of the national strategy on financial education, we are assured that through the primary and secondary school curricula, children and youths are learning concepts of personal, household and business financial management in subjects such as social studies, expressive arts, physical education, business studies and civic education. recently, a significant milestone was achieved when supplementary financial education materials for learners and teachers in the lower and upper secondary schools were published with the support of financial sector deepening zambia. we also commend the curriculum development centre for their contribution in the publication of these materials. going forward, we will need to embed the principles of sustainable finance in supplementary materials to ensure that our next generation of adults are able to consider social and environmental risks in their investment choices. ladies and gentlemen as the government is developing the 2023 - 2027 national financial inclusion strategy, it is the right time to integrate elements of sustainability, with consideration of environmental risks and climate change mitigation measures into the strategy. sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations.. in this regard, the bank has a vested interest in encouraging financial sector players to be innovative, and responsive to climate change effects by designing financial services that support a sustainable economic growth journey, while balancing financial stability, inclusion, integrity and consumer protection in the financial ecosystem. ladies and gentlemen it is a continuing concern of all key stakeholders that provision of financial services in rural areas continues to be significantly lower than in urban areas. this has constrained the rural populace from access to savings products. this largely on account of poor infrastructure coupled with low literacy levels. as of june 2020, 39 out of the 116 districts in the country, did not have either bank branches or agents. it is from this backdrop that the bank of zambia, the ministry of finance and national planning and the ministry of health, commenced an initiative to help accelerate rural financial inclusion in districts by promoting the use of health facilities as general access 2 / 4 bis - central bankers'speeches points for financial services. the general access point inspection report was presented during the dissemination workshop on 13 september 2022 and is available for detailed information. ladies and gentlemen the implementation of the national strategy on financial education requires the united responsibility