addition, delivery of the financing to support a doubling of the fund's concessional lending is moving ahead. as you may know, my constituency is already a notable donor and we stand ready to provide support. a reformed fund back in action the fund has often been criticized for its actions – sometimes rightly so, sometimes unjustly so. but when the crisis hit, the fund was seen as the natural choice to be the fire fighter : to respond rapidly to help countries meet their financing needs arising from the crisis. the fund stepped up to the challenge and reformed itself in order to respond to the needs of its member countries more effectively and in a more flexible manner. it is time to put the new toolkit fully into action. further reforms are needed and a review of the quotas is a key element. the reforms should be transparent and based on sound economic and financial criteria. as a starting point, all countries should ratify the 2008 quota and voice reform. it is vital to deliver on our promise to increase the voice and participation of low - income countries. for the fund to be relevant to all its members, it is important to achieve a further shift in quotas from over - represented to under - represented countries as defined by the quota formula. the size of the quota increase will ultimately depend on the long - term financing needs of the fund. the role of the imfc should be enhanced so that it can, with the support of the executive board, be even more actively involved in setting the strategic orientation of the fund. at the same time, an institution should not reform merely for the sake of reforming. the current executive board and imfc have universal membership. where else can you find such a setting ; where an institution can deliver when needed and the decisions are anchored globally because every member is represented? looking forward, once recovery is on a firm footing, the fund should again look beyond its crisis management role. i am pleased that our discussions here in istanbul have shown that there is broad support among its membership for a strong fund in normal times, too.

are wheelchair accessible and easy to navigate for people who are visually impaired. their digital interfaces must also accommodate people with disabilities, and their staff must undergo periodic training to equip them to interact effectively with and assist vulnerable customers. at the central bank, we understand that some financial institutions will need time to retrofit their properties and make the necessary updates to their online systems. as such, time is allowed for these licensed entities to complete this process. one aspect of the guideline that was in place even before it was published was the requirement that all commercial banks offer at least one " no - fee account " to all of their clients. the guideline also notes that " specially tailored low - fee accounts " should be available for vulnerable groups, including pensioners, minors, and students, ensuring these accounts are equipped with features that cater to their specific needs. " we are aware that other central banks in the region have adopted a variety of approaches to address the challenging issues of financial inclusion, fees, and accessibility of services by vulnerable groups and i encourage all of you to consider these aspects of customer care when preparing your future business plans. ladies and gentlemen, we know that one of the greatest challenges facing our region today is the issue of climate change. our region is disproportionately impacted by acute climatic events such as hurricanes and floods, which have been increasing in frequency and intensity due to rising temperatures. these events can have severe economic consequences. for instance, the recent devastation caused by hurricane beryl is still fresh in our minds. it brought widespread damage, particularly to grenada, saint vincent and the grenadines and jamaica, while in barbados, our fisheries sector was severely impacted due to many vessels being damaged or completely destroyed. furthermore, the impact extends far beyond environmental degradation, creating income loss, property damage, and this can lead to an increase in non - performing loans, reduced profitability, and even the destruction of critical it and physical infrastructure in the banking sector. we therefore commend cab for placing this issue on the table during their annual meetings. by prioritising sustainability and promoting esg goals, we can ensure that our banks play a vital role in addressing the challenge of climate change, particularly through investments in green technology and renewable energy projects. financial institutions across the region, under the guidance of cab, therefore have an opportunity to strengthen and expand mechanisms that incentivise and empower businesses to adopt practices, that are environmentally sustainable and support climate resilience