Facing a rapidly evolving banking environment in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the G20 is conducting critical work for the definition of policy orientations and regulatory guidelines to reform financial and banking markets. For example, the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion launched by G20 in 2010 to provide an inclusive platform for the advancement of financial inclusion globally and the on-going international financial architecture reforms taken by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), .etc.

WSBI is convinced that their work is likely to influence the banking landscape beyond the borders of the G20 countries. These on-going financial policy or regulatory initiatives will have potential impacts on retail banking activities of WSBI members.

Apart from these changes at the international level, WSBI members from Asia also have to face challenges coming from the evolving banking landscape in other dimensions, for example, increasing demands of diversified financial products and services with the emergence of dynamic economies in the region, fast changing new technologies, adoption of international banking standards at the national level, an increasing competitive environment, etc.

The 19th WSBI Asia/Pacific Regional Group Meeting will enable participants to review some of these trends and assess their impacts on banking industry. Discussions will focus on:

• Financial inclusion: roles of different stakeholders;
• The impact of G20 regulation and supervision initiatives on banking environment;
• The future of payments.

The Meeting will also focus on innovative experiences to foster financial inclusion, initiated by the host of the Meeting, Bank Simpanan Nasional’s agent banking initiative and Central Bank Malaysia’s financial inclusion policy initiative.