Governance, accountability and effective risk management are the linchpins of safe and successful banking, Ardian Fullani, the governor of the Bank of Albania, told a gathering of bankers on 17 December.

Internal control systems were key to ensure institutions' safe operation, Fullani said. "They are indispensable to avoid...abusive actions that would impair the institution."

The central bank was also stepping up its regulatory requirements, he said. "[This] implies that banks should have