BIS Review 144/2009  3  To dampen the impact of the crisis, national authorities have adopted a number of policy measures, which however differed significantly across countries, depending on the room for manoeuvre to adopt supportive monetary and fiscal policies in the various countries.
I offer in advance my thanks to our Session Chairs and Panelists in the topic discussions later today and tomorrow for the wealth of insight they will impart into our deliberations. My deepest gratitude also to those who have travelled from the provinces and from abroad to take part in our first national strategy for financial inclusion and financial literacy workshop.