Although there has been some increase in real credit in the last few years, small and medium-scale enterprises still have considerable difficulty accessing credit. 5. Mr. Chairman, since the theme of this award ceremony is efficiency and competitiveness in the banking industry, let me now turn my attention to initiatives that we have pursued in that regard.
Some of these initiatives include the movement to universal banking, the adoption of an open licensing system, and the modernization of the payments system, including establishing a central securities depository and the passage of supportive laws. 6.