This year witnessed our effort in introducing sustainability as a fundamental feature in our way of doing business. It was our privilege to pioneer the launch of the first AfrAsia Bank Sustainability Summit in Mauritius in 2018.

In 2019, the Bank was the first Mauritian Bank to join the Global Reporting Initiative Community, another milestone in our sustainability journey which also speaks of our ongoing determination to promote growth with a deep sustainable commitment and an integrative approach.

We have joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) since 2015, and has since continuously strived to embed the 10 principles within our strategy and day-to-day operations. I am pleased to renew our commitment to the UNGC this year as well and support these 10 principles.

The year was highlighted by a few international accolades that we received. EMEA Finance's African Banking Awards 2018 felicitated us in four categories among which we were honoured as the Best Bank in Mauritius for the second year running. This confirms our passion to continually improve our offering to better meet the ever changing demands of our customers.

We were recognised as a pioneer in the Digital HR Space by Oracle for our implementation of Human Capital Management (HCM) on cloud and received two prestigious awards for transforming the way our employees engage with the HR function at AfrAsia Bank.

With the advent of the digital age, the relationship between banks and customers is witnessing a transformation. To keep pace with this new relationship where customers expect constant ease of access and flexibility, AfrAsia Bank maintained its progress on its digital transformation journey. The aims are two-fold: upgrade our back office systems as well as improve our internal processes to cater to our tech savvy customers'demands. Our investments will be geared towards enhancing and accelerating enterprise efficiency as well as ensuring operational excellence. We aim to be digital to the core by aligning ourselves with the changes taking place in the market. This is a never ending journey and we are enabling ourselves to ensure we remain relevant to our customers.

Our people, vision, core values and continuous improvements in our processes are embedded in our customer-centric culture. I look to a future filled with opportunities to be explored. Our innovative spirit and our deep involvement for our stakeholders will ensure that AfrAsia Bank continues to grow profitably and sustainably in the future and uphold the trust that our stakeholders have in us.

I would like to thank Lynn Dallaire and Vijit Yadav for their contribution during their tenure, and welcome Nicolas Hardy whose extensive experience in technology and leadership will surely assist in piloting our innovation focus.

I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Mr. Lim Sit Chen Lam Pak Ng and Boon Huat Lee for their guidance and leadership during their tenure as lndependent Directors and Chairpersons.

My gratitude also extends to the Shareholders, the Board Members and my Management Team for their continuous support and giving a clear sense of direction.

To our clients, and to all our stakeholders, thank you for choosing AfrAsia as your Banking Partner.

Last but not least, to our dedicated and unwavering bonded team of 402 AfrAsians without whom our journey would have been incomplete and who continue to make AfrAsia the Different Bank that it is today,my sincerest  gratitude.