国际英语新闻:Kuwait holds int'l banking conference on global economic challenges

KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait held on Monday an international banking conference with focus on challenges facing the global economy.

At the conference, themed "Shaping the Future," Mohammad Al-Hashel, Central Bank of Kuwait's (CBK) governor, said that banking industry is encountering challenges foremost global economy's uncertainties, financial technology revolution and meeting customers' needs and expectations.

"Global economy was facing intensifying headwinds, and the financial industry was at a cross-road which required exploration of new service methods," he noted.

Addressing the challenges facing global economy, he said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) twice lowered its global growth projections for 2019 to 3.2 percent, with developed economies expected to grow at a much slower rate of 1.9 percent.

"A key driver of this slowdown is economic uncertainty brought about by rising trade tensions and protectionist policies," he noted, adding that "if trade tensions continue, the IMF may further revise down its economic growth projections."

Meanwhile, he said the latest digital technologies were transforming the economic landscape and were disrupting many traditional industries along the way.

While banks can potentially manage onslaught by financial technology firms, the real challenge will be posed by the Big Techs.

Another challenge, said Al-Hashel, was the fact that financial industry should meet rapidly shifting customer needs and expectations.

"Banks have battles to fight in order to added value and efficiency to their services," he added.

The conference attracts a wide range of economic figures from Kuwait's banks, regulatory and supervisory bodies, high-level executives in banking sector and international credit rating agencies, as well as international organizations and standards bodies, banking experts and representatives of financial technology companies from around the world.