Geographic fragmentation cannot assure that the private sector, acting alone, would achieve the level of inclusion and access which all communities in The Bahamas deserve.10 This instrument is intended to complement and not replace existing banking services. Its use will be optimised when persons in remote communities are able to deploy it to establish and maintain deposit accounts and other services at banks.
Concerning the outlook for prices, the ECB staff projects annual inflation to average between 1.5% and 2.1% this year and between 1.4% and 2.6% in 2008. Risks to the medium-term outlook for price stability remain on the upside, relating in particular to stronger than currently expected wage developments in a context of ongoing robust growth in employment and economic activity.