With respect to the Central Bank, and as we have done on previous occasions, we value the widespread recognition expressed during this process in terms of its autonomy, its objectives and functions, and its eminently technical nature. The commitment of all of us who are part of this institution has been and will continue to be to contribute to the welfare of our country and achieving the objectives of ensuring price stability and the normal functioning of internal and external payments. Throughout the constitutional debate, important issues arose. Elements such as employment and financial stability have always been present in our decisions, but we believe it is pertinent to be more explicit about how they influence them. At this point, I should mention that the evolution of the Bank's strategic planning process for the period 2023-2027, on which we are already working, will provide us with an adequate framework to address this task and other medium-term challenges. Some examples of this advancement are our agenda on environmental issues, means of payment, and the compilation of regional statistics with a gender perspective, which will provide more basic information for the formulation of public policies aimed at overcoming existing gaps and barriers. Clearly, the outcome of the plebiscite does not put an end to the debate on Chile's institutional framework. Various political sectors have stressed the need to give continuity to this process, with the purpose of constructing a text that is in tune with the will of the great majorities.
However, in a context where inflation has turned out to be higher than expected; where inflationary expectations remain above target; where the peso is weaker than normal; where the global inflationary problem has become more complex and there are doubts as to how policies to address it will affect the global economy and financial markets, we must acknowledge that the risk of experiencing a more persistent inflationary phenomenon is our primary concern. Monetary policy makers will remain attentive to these developments and, as I mentioned a few moments ago, future movements of the MPR will be contingent on them. Urgently resolving the inflationary problem does not imply that we should set aside our medium-term challenges. More than two years into the pandemic and almost three since the social unrest of October 2019, our economy has suffered a string of events that have put the effectiveness of our economic policy framework and the authorities' ability to react to the test. In addition to the inflationary effects, some of the measures adopted to deal with the effects of the pandemic generated significant costs in the local financial market. Withdrawals of pension funds reduced the size of long-term savings and possibly also the economy's capacity to react to external shocks, especially under conditions of high uncertainty. Therefore, the strengthening of financial markets should be an important item on the economic agenda.