However, where the service provider is not the regulator, it is hard to coordinate and preserve the character of accessibility. The UK regulators have taken bold steps to outsource the service provider’s role and concentrate on the regulatory role, while USA, Sri Lanka and India are still trying to strike a balance between the dual roles, which we have inherited for decades. 2. Retail payments outlook and prospects  2.1 Retail banking is still the main force in banking, and is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future, despite the relentless growth of investment banking, corporate banking and other forms of services. In 2006, retail banking business accounted for euro 1,220 bn in revenue, or about 57% of the global banking revenue pool of euro 2,150 bn. The world over, banks continue to open branches and attempt to make their branches more attractive for retail payments. Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and many of the SAARC countries are members of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), Asia-Pacific Trade Agreements (APTA), The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and several other trade agreements. During 2002-2006, exports in the SAARC region as a ratio of world exports rose from 1.09 to 1.29 percent, of which India accounted for more than 75 percent. Although firm numbers are not available for 2007, exports are estimated to have increased at a significant rate followed by higher cross-border payments.
To speed the process and avoid unnecessary delays that might exacerbate liquidity problems, and to halt any possible contagion to other parts of the system, the Banco de España took the swiftest of decisions while fully observing the provisions of the Law on the Discipline and Intervention of Credit Institutions. The conduct of the Banco de España has been informed by the lessons that all supervisors have drawn from the unfolding of the financial crisis in other developed countries. In particular, it is our resolve to prevent the problems of an individual credit institution degenerating to such an extent as to spread to other domestic banks and savings banks. BIS Review 42/2009  1  The speed behind the Banco de España's decision also justifies the urgency of and need for the Royal Decree-Law adopted by the government. Without going into details on the legislation, I would like to stress that the granting of guarantees by the Treasury has a dual purpose. First, it allows the Banco de España to act with full force, providing a very high volume of guarantees backing potentially significant funding. Such provision is necessary if the ailing credit institution is to meet all its commitments and honour all its payments. Since autumn 2008, when the suspension of payments by Lehman Brothers led to a risk of widespread collapse on the international financial markets, no country has allowed any credit institution active on international markets to suspend payments.