1/3  BIS central bankers' speeches  To help us achieve this balance, we emulated the Financial Technology Regulatory Sandbox introduced in some other countries to provide an avenue for industry players to pilot or test new solutions within a safe space. Here, industry players have the opportunity to trial new financial technologies that support sustainable goals. At the same time, we are able to better understand and observe market impacts and tailor our regulatory and supervisory response accordingly. To date, 19 solutions have been tested in the sandbox. Of this, over 60% have been successfully rolled out into full-scale production. The Bank has also introduced new digital bank licences and implemented a series of changes to existing regulations applicable to agent banks, microinsurance, and payment and remittance services to enhance financial inclusion and consumer protection. Secondly, we continue to support a meaningful role of the financial sector in helping households and businesses meet transition challenges. While we are encouraged by a number of financial institutions in Malaysia that have announced net-zero or carbon neutral goals, it is imperative for financial institutions to do more to support transition. We expect this to gain momentum with the implementation of the Climate Change and Principle-based Taxonomy for financial institutions that was issued by Bank Negara Malaysia in April this year. By shining a light on climate risk mitigation and adaptation activities, the taxonomy will strengthen incentives for both financial institutions and businesses to adopt practices that are aligned to climate goals.
With one of the highest savings rate in the world, at approximately 30% of GDP which currently amounts to USD750 billion, a well-integrated regional financial system would provide a more comprehensive eco-system for an efficient and competitive intermediation and investment. An important component of ASEAN growth is the critical role of SMEs in all economies. The AEC recognise this and calls for SMEs to play a greater role in contributing to the overall economic growth and development of ASEAN as a region. Access to financing, however, remains a key challenge for many businesses. Despite various national level efforts, more needs to be done for SMEs to obtain access to financing, including the funding required to grow their business beyond national borders. The credit gap for SMEs in East Asia is estimated to be more than USD250 billion.2 The difficulties in access to financing are compounded by underdeveloped financial systems, the need to manage multiple banking relationships across different markets, and a lack of coordinated financial advisory support to help businesses navigate the regulatory and business environment in different jurisdictions. A larger presence of regional financial institutions can significantly reduce these challenges. 1  Speech by David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director, IMF on 19 March 2015 entitled “ASEAN – The Challenges of Convergence and Integration”. 2  Sources: International Finance Corporation and McKinsey & Company, “Two trillion and counting – Assessing the credit gap for micro, small, and medium-size enterprises in the developing world”, October 2010.