It is also expected that the forum will result in attaining better alignment of project scope with stakeholder needs, and in particular buy-in from both private and public sector stakeholders in each country covered. Ladies and Gentlemen, this roundtable forum brings together some decision and policy makers, from both the private and public sectors of the countries covered by the project, to a single regional event representing government and central bank officials, trade and payment system experts, international development community, mobile network operators, international money operators, payment service providers, academics and researchers involved in the topics of small-scale cross-border trade and payment services. I am very positive that the symposium shall achieve the stated objectives and wish to encourage you to actively and freely participate in the deliberations. With these few words, Ladies and Gentlemen, I declare this roundtable symposium open. Thank you! 2  BIS central bankers’ speeches
If the economy is stronger, and we see a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market sooner, we’ll end up doing less. From my perspective, linking our purchases more closely to economic outcomes underlines our determination to generate the kind of recovery that will deliver more rapid progress toward maximum employment in the context of price stability. So what does “substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market” mean to me? Note that I will be focusing on the outlook, not just the current state of labor market conditions. In that context, it wouldn’t be enough for me just to see the unemployment rate decline a bit. It would also matter why the unemployment rate is declining and whether that improvement is likely to be sustained in the future. For example, higher payroll growth that was not supported by stronger economic growth, or falling unemployment rates that were due mainly to declining participation in the labor market, would not likely meet my test. Therefore, to gauge how substantial the improvement in the outlook for the labor market is, I will be looking at a range of indicators, including the unemployment rate, payrolls, the participation rate, the employment to population ratio and job finding rates, as well as the growth momentum within the economy. As we approach year-end, the maturity extension program in which we are increasing our holdings of long-dated Treasuries will be coming to an end.