Geographic deregulation has spawned a substantial reduction in the number of banking organizations in the United States with, on average, virtually no change in concentration at the local level. In addition, the average number of distinct banking organizations operating in local markets--both urban and rural--is little changed. The total number of banking offices in the United States has risen steadily since the mid-1990s.
The Committee’s work has mainly been focussed on the following areas: development of payment, clearing and settlement systems; the impact of exchange controls on the cross-border flow of goods, services and capital in the SADC region; the development of a monetary and financial data base; coordination and training of central bank officials within the region and the collection of information on the legal and operational frameworks of central banks within the region.