The growing momentum of improvements in the banking sector must be safeguarded and supported by continuing corrective efforts. At our gathering this evening, I will present a number of policies that we will pursue throughout 2005 and in the medium to long term.
These are specifically the policies that we will institute to accelerate the consolidation process in the banking industry, as I touched on earlier. To elaborate and discuss the theme of my speech this evening, I will first explain the present macroeconomic conditions and outlook and the performance and prospects of the banking industry.