*  *  *  Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Mr. Ajantha Madurapperuma, President, Association of Professional Bankers – Sri Lanka; Distinguished guests and members of the Association of Professional Bankers, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to be here today for this 21st Anniversary Convention of the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka.
At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Ajantha Madurapperuma, the President of the Association and all its members for extending the invitation and providing me this opportunity to share my views on a theme which has tested the competence and conventional wisdom of policy makers, bankers and market participants all around the world, as the complex nature and severity of the global crisis has been truly unprecedented.