Budapest, 2 July 2020 – Mihály Patai delivered a lecture at the professional roundtable discussion of the online forum jointly organised by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and the Asian Financial Cooperation Association (AFCA). The Deputy Governor of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) shared his thoughts with the audience on the possible roles central banks may play in the financial system in the future, along with the medium- and long-term possibilities of digital central bank currency.
Mihály Patai, Deputy Governor of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank, attended the online roundtable titled “Digital Development of Financial Inclusion in Asia” as a guest speaker on 2 July 2020, discussing the possible roles of central banks in the financial system in the future, along with the medium- and long-term possibilities of digital central bank currency. The presentations were followed up by a free discussion among the honourable speakers and invited experts focusing on financial inclusion, digital transformation financial services and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the financial system.
The Boao Forum for Asia has become Asia’s most dominant economic forum in recent years since its launch in 2001. Its international recognition is similar to that of the Davos World Economic Forum. The annual forum was scheduled to take place in March 2020 this year, but had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the organisers then held it digitally in early July.
Other guests speaking at the event included the former governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), currently BFA Vice Chairman Zhou Xiaochuan, AFCA Chairman and Chairman of the BoD of the China Construction Bank, Tian Guoli, Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, Ant Group Executive Chairman Eric Jing, the head of the Institute of Digital Finance (IDF) of the Beijing University, Huang Yiping, as well as the Dean of the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University, Zhang Xiaohui.