To this end, I wish to mention that the Bank of Zambia with other stakeholders is in the process of putting in place a National Switch that will further enhance initiatives such as this one whose launch we are witnessing today. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bank of Zambia will continue to support any efforts and innovations by the private sector that extend the provision of financial services to the majority of our citizens. I look forward to seeing the product being launched today live up to the expectations of providing a safe, efficient, secure and reliable service to the Zambian people. I hope that all customers will enjoy using the Airtel Money service. With these few remarks, I wish to declare Airtel Money officially launched and wish it all the success. Thank you. 2  BIS central bankers’ speeches
This is supported by agreements that have been and are being entered into based on commitments made by the respective members of ASEAN. Financial integration in ASEAN has also adopted a more flexible approach that accords the member countries to participate in the process based on their state of readiness. This is to ensure that no countries will be adversely affected by the process. Additionally, significant efforts have focused on capacity building in a range of areas of banking and finance to promote an  2  BIS central bankers’ speeches  inclusive advancement of the integration process in the region. Regional cooperation among policy makers is as focused in regional surveillance and information sharing. This is to facilitate greater understanding of regional issues as well as the detection of risks and vulnerabilities. It is also to provide awareness of the implications and the experience of alternative the policy options to address the wide challenging developments confronting the region. This has improved capability in managing the implications of external developments and potential economic and financial crisis. What businesses can expect In period following the Asian Financial Crisis, the region has made significant strides in strengthening our resilience, agility and capacity of the banking sector. We also now have the emergence of ASEAN financial institutions in the region. While ASEAN commercial banks predominantly mobilise funds at the national level, greater regional financial integration is now being paved for financial institutions in our region to participate in a regional banking network.