Westpac is reviewing its use of offshoring and outsourcing to trim costs, the Australian Financial Review reports, with the bank now likely to resume the practice after a voluntary freeze adopted in 2009.Gail Kelly, chief executive of the bank, told the newspaper that the review was looking at offshoring accounting and reconciliation processes.She said the review would not affect client-facing services. This includes call centres in Australia and New Zealand.Kelly foreshadowed a review of the offshoring freeze at an investor briefing in October 2010 on the bank's technology strategy. At the time, she implied the bank had engaged 1200 workers via offshoring to assist on technology projects connected with the takeover of St George Bank.She said then that the context for the freeze was the perception in the early phase of the financial crisis that unemployment in Australia might climb to more than eight per cent. On other topics canvassed in the interview published in the AFR, Kelly said, "I certainly hope we don't have an interest rate rise for a couple of months. Two in a row would be a problem."She told the newspaper that Westpac viewed the economy as softer now than when the bank presented its first-half profit six weeks ago.Kelly also said that acquisitions, including wealth managers and offshore businesses, were not on the agenda for the bank at present.On the other hand, the sale of one niche wealth-management business may be.In its Street Talk column, the AFR speculates that Westpac is looking for a buyer for Hastings, one of its funds management arms which specialises in infrastructure, private equity and high-yield asset classes.