At the same time, the annual growth rate of loans to households remained broadly unchanged at 3.3% in February. The euro area bank lending survey for the first quarter of 2019 suggests that overall bank lending conditions remained favourable.
The recommendations of the Report of the Independent Evaluation Office on the role of the Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa and the recommendations of the Malan Committee Report on Fund-Bank Collaboration provide scope for a more effective role of the Fund in low-income countries. Managing an effective institution I welcome the Report by the Committee of Eminent Persons on the Sustainable Financing of the Fund.