PRESS RELEASE
Launching ceremony of the Money Week 2024

On 18 March 2024, at the premises of the Bank of Albania, the Money Week for 2024 was launched. Several awareness-raising and educational activities will take place over the course of this week.

This Week is a global money celebration, which aims to raise the awareness among children and youth to be responsible citizens in the future, able to take well-informed financial decisions.

During 18-24 March 2024, the Bank of Albania, in cooperation with the Albanian Association of Banks and the support of the Ministry of Education and Sports, and other partners, will organize various activities dedicated to children and youth. Financial education, more specifically how to manage money, to save money, and to think financially, in addition to being prudent and avoid money muling and online scams will be at the focus of the activities. The activities will consist of lectures, competitions, visits to the Museum of the Bank of Albania and open classes.

The Governor of the Bank of Albania, Mr Gent Sejko, the Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Ogerta Manastirliu, and the Chairman of the Albanian Association of Banks, Mr Bledar Shella addressed the launching ceremony of the Money Week 2024.

In his opening address, Governor Sejko stated that the Bank of Albania, in collaboration with the Albanian Association of Banks and with the precious support of the Ministry of Education and Sports as well as other partners, has for many years organised educational and awareness-raising activities tailored for pre-university and university students.

This year's theme, "Protect your money, secure your future” highlights the necessity for a responsible and informed approach to managing personal finances, including the identification and understanding of potential risks of financial transactions.

“It is crucial for young people to identify risks associated with online scams, as well as other risks stemming from unreliable information and advice. To this end, the Bank of Albania, together with its partners, will be organizing a series of educational programs and activities nationwide, aimed at equipping youth and children with the tools needed to navigate the financial world safely.” -said the Governor.

The swift pace of digital transformation and the urgent issues raised by climate change are reshaping our engagement with financial instruments and relationships. Young people have a unique opportunity to use their resources as a force to induce a positive change in both society and environment. Accordingly, the Bank of Albania has embarked on two significant strategies: 1. “The Strategy for the Management and Supervision of Climate-Related Financial Risks”; and 2. “The Strategy for Enhancing Financial Education and Inclusion”.

The strategy for financial education serves as a blueprint for educational bodies, financial institutions, businesses, and NGOs to develop and implement collaborative policies, programs, and educational materials, ultimately enhancing the country's financial literacy. Advancing this initiative presents obstacles, thus there is a growing necessity of exchanging experiences and learning from one another to enhance and advocate for a stronger financial literacy in our country.

“I take this opportunity, with the launching of Global Money Week 2024, to express my best wishes for the success of this campaign. Allow me to congratulate and thank the many students, pupils, and teachers who have joined us. I encourage new participants to actively engage, ask questions, and enjoy the learning experience. The Bank of Albania is proud to be the main local organizer of this global initiative, promoting significant changes in financial and digital inclusion, which have greatly increased the importance of financial education in our country.” – commented Governor Sejko.

The ceremony continued with the awards for the winners of the five contests organized by the Bank of Albania and the Albanian Association of Banks on the occasion of the Money Week.

The first contest "Best Drawing", invited third graders of 9-year schools to participate with their drawings on the theme of this Week "Protect your money, secure your future".  Overall, more than 350 drawings were presented by pupils from 80 nine-year schools.

“Best Project” was the second contest targeted to fourth graders on: “Protect your money, secure your future”. In total, 78 projects were presented by 2300 pupils from 50 nine-year schools in Albania. Students were engaged in dealing with the theme in a physical project (in the form of a corner in the classroom or school, etc.) or interpretative (in the form of a performance, presentation, etc.). They presented their project through a short video.

The third contest was on “The best photo-montage”. Eighth graders of 9-year schools were invited that either individually or in team to elaborate on the message of the Money Week through images and captions. In total, 76 photo-montage were presented by pupils from 40 nine-year schools.

The best video was the fourth contest on “Protect your money, secure your future - Avoid online financial scams”. High school students were invited to transmit their messages in an original manner, on the theme, through a video no longer than 2 min. The video could be produced by an individual or a team. In total, 45 videos were presented by 75 students from 27 high schools in Albania.

The fifth contest was for the best essay on "The new era of cyber security in the business world". University students were invited to write argumentative essays no longer than 1500 words, conform to academic writing criteria on the importance of guaranteeing the cyber security and its impact on doing business. In total, 8 essays were presented by students from 7 public and private universities in Albania.