If the real interest rate is low, even bad investments appear to be profitable and the banks' credit assessment process will not function properly. A large number of borrowers will then experience unsatisfactory profitability, particularly if the interest rate then increases slightly, and will be unable to pay their loans. The bad experiences from the time before and during the crisis led to the Riksbank later being given a very independent role to determine the key interest rate within the framework for monetary policy. Parliament set the objective for what should be achieved, namely price stability. The Riksbank then specified this as an inflation target, whereby the inflation rate would normally be within an interval of 1 to 3 per cent a year. Interest rate decisions are made by the Executive Board of the Riksbank, which is intended to ensure that there can be no external influence. The predictable and independent interest rate policy means that the banks and other financial agents have been given a firm foundation on which to base their risk assessments, which reduces their risks of suffering unexpected losses. Avoiding being wise after the event It is dangerous to use regulations to limit competition in the banking sector. Almost forty years of regulations had led our banks to almost entirely lose one field of competence they must have to accomplish their task to society – to assess credit risks and allocate credit where it can have the most positive effect on economic developments.
Slow growth, lack of economic mobility and erosion of trust in public and private institutions are among the factors that are likely to have contributed to this. Like undercurrents before a storm, these trends have far reaching implications for political, economic and social systems. Last but not least, the fifth shift is the advancement of technology. This has and will continue to 1/5  BIS central bankers' speeches  dramatically alter the way we behave, interact and transact. Much has been said about the benefits, but an increasing reliance on technology presents risks that we cannot ignore. This includes issues of data privacy, discrimination or biases and also displacement of certain segments within society. In the digital age, higher order risks of cyber-attacks and operational disruptions are magnified in ways that we have yet to fully comprehend. Calling for a financial system that is relevant, safe and socially responsible These five megatrends and finance are deeply intertwined. While undoubtedly finance has helped to power the economic rise of ASEAN, its role in contributing to an increase in climate risk and inequality cannot be denied. Therefore, as we consider the future of finance, we need to contemplate not only how these megatrends may impact finance, but how finance itself can respond to and shape these trends in more positive ways moving forward. In my mind, this calls for a financial system that is relevant, safe and socially responsible. Finance must be relevant to the needs of the economy.