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Western Hemisphere > Argentina

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 43 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Central Banks and Their Policies x
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Cover IMF Working Papers
Crypto as a Marketplace for Capital Flight
Clemens M. Graf von Luckner
,
Robin Koepke
, and
Silvia Sgherri
This paper shows how cryptocurrency markets can fuel cross-border capital flight by serving as marketplaces that match counterparts with and without (illicit) access to FX. In countries where international transactions are restricted, crypto exchanges effectively allow domestic agents to pay a premium to buy foreign currency. The counterparts to these transactions are agents with access to FX, who sell crypto holdings purchased abroad. A stylized model illustrates that restricted foreign currency amid economic imbalances incentivizes these transactions via persistent crypto premia in local relative to global markets. We analyze relative crypto pricing data in several country case studies, providing empirical support that crypto markets serve as marketplaces for capital flight that already took place, rather than a novel channel for capital flight. We make available a novel dataset on crypto market premia, which we propose as indicators of excess demand for foreign currency and capital control intensity. The dataset will be posted along with this paper and updated periodically.
Keywords:
Capital flows; digital money; capital controls; cryptocurrency market; cross-border capital flight; crypto market; trading illicit capital flight; IMF working paper 24/133; Capital outflows; Currencies; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
A Primer on Bitcoin Cross-Border Flows: Measurement and Drivers
Eugenio M Cerutti
,
Jiaqian Chen
, and
Martina Hengge
The rapid growth of crypto assets raises important questions about their cross-border usage. To gain a better understanding of cross-border Bitcoin flows, we use raw data covering both on-chain (on the Bitcoin blockchain) and off-chain (outside the Bitcoin blockchain) transactions globally. We provide a detailed description of available methodologies and datasets, and discuss the crucial assumptions behind the quantification of cross-border flows. We then present novel stylized facts about Bitcoin cross-border flows and study their global and domestic drivers. Bitcoin cross-border flows respond differently than capital flows to traditional drivers of capital flows, and differences appear between on-chain and off-chain Bitcoin cross-border flows. Off-chain cross-border flows seem correlated with incentives to avoid capital flow restrictions.
Keywords:
Crypto assets; Bitcoin; Cross-border flows; Capital flows; bitcoin blockchain; capital flow restriction; bitcoin flow; cross-border flow; Bitcoin transaction; Blockchain and DLT; Currencies; Financial activity tax; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Crypto Assets and CBDCs in Latin America and the Caribbean: Opportunities and Risks
Maximiliano Appendino
,
Olga Bespalova
,
Ms. Rina Bhattacharya
,
Jean François Clevy
,
Ms. Nan Geng
,
Mr. Takuji Komatsuzaki
,
Justin Lesniak
,
Weicheng Lian
,
Ms. Sandra Marcelino
,
Mr. Mauricio Villafuerte
, and
Mr. Yorbol Yakhshilikov
After providing a general overview of the nature, pros, and cons of crypto assets and CBDCs, this paper focuses on documenting their recent experience in LAC. The region records a high interest in unbacked crypto assets and stablecoins and its authorities’ policy responses have varied substantially, ranging from the introduction of Bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador to their prohibition in many other countries worried about their impact on financial stability, currency/asset substitution, tax evasion, corruption, and money laundering. This paper also describes briefly the results of a survey on CBDCs’ introduction plans and crypto assets regulation. Finally, this paper presents some general lessons and policy recommendations for the region on the regulation of cypto assets, digital currencies and cross-border payments, and on the potential introduction of CBDCs.
Keywords:
crypto assets regulation; asset substitution; CBDCs in Latin America and the Caribbean; Policy recommendation; cypto assets; IMF working paper 23/37; Virtual currencies; Central Bank digital currencies; Digital currencies; Payment systems; Currencies; Caribbean; Central America; South America; Global
Cover Policy Papers
Safeguards Assessments - 2022 Review of Experience
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
This paper reviews experience with the safeguards assessment policy since the last review in 2015. The policy is subject to periodic reviews by the Executive Board. The policy’s main objective is to mitigate risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of monetary data under Fund arrangements. Consistent with past reviews, an external panel of experts provided an independent perspective on the implementation of the policy.
Keywords:
IMF purchase; safeguards Assessments policy; Policy evolution; assessment finding; control framework; safeguards assessments policy; External audit; Internal audit; Auditing; Central bank governance; Central Bank digital currencies; Middle East and Central Asia; Western Hemisphere; Asia and Pacific; Global; Caribbean
Cover IMF Working Papers
Central Bank Independence and Inflation in Latin America—Through the Lens of History
Mr. Luis Ignacio Jácome
and
Samuel Pienknagura
We study the link between central bank independence and inflation by providing narrative and empiricial evidence based on Latin America’s experience over the past 100 years. We present a novel historical dataset of central bank independence for 17 Latin American countries and recount the rocky journey traveled by Latin America to achieve central bank independence and price stability. After their creation as independent institutions, central bank independence was eroded in the 1930s at the time of the Great Depression and following the abandonement of the gold exchange standard. Then, by the 1940s, central banks turned into de facto development banks under the aegis of governments, sawing the seeds for high inflation. It took the high inflation episodes of the 1970s and 1980s and the associated major decline in real income, and growing social discontent, to grant central banks political and operational independence to focus on fighting inflation starting in the 1990s. The empirical evidence confirms the strong negative association between central bank independence and inflation and finds that improvements in independence result in a steady decline in inflation. It also shows that high levels of central bank independence are associated with reductions in the likelihood of high inflation episodes, especially when accompanied by reductions in central bank financing to the central government.
Keywords:
Central Bank Independence; Inflation; Latin America; inflation episode; independence result; CBI index; gold exchange; finance government expenditure; inflation distribution; executive branch; fiscal dominance; country level; inflation expectation; term of office; credit to the government; inflation inertia; Latin American country; Central bank autonomy; Central bank legislation; Bank credit; Central bank organization; Central America; South America
Cover IEO Annual Report 2021
IEO Annual Report 2021
International Monetary Fund. Independent Evaluation Office

Abstract

IEO Annual Report 2021

Keywords:
IEO Annual Report; IEO work program; IEO evaluation reports; IMF programs; growth optimism; austerity bias; structural conditionality; debt sustainability; fiscal policy; exchange rate policy; IEO evaluation; IMF taxonomy; IMF's capital account work; MIP implementation; exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions; Capital flows; COVID-19; Capital account; Capital flow management; Sub-Saharan Africa; Global
Cover Policy Papers
Safeguards Assessment—2019 Update
Mr. George M Kabwe
,
Elie Chamoun
,
Riaan van Greuning
,
Mowele Mohlala
, and
Ms. Julia Cardoso
Safeguards assessments are a key pillar of the risk management arrangements for IMF lending. Safeguards assessments aim to mitigate the risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of program monetary data under Fund arrangements. Safeguards assessment reports are confidential and therefore the IMF Executive Board is provided with a periodic report on safeguards activities on a biennial basis, in addition to high-level summaries in member country staff reports on key findings and recommendations. This update on safeguards activity covers the period May 2017 to end-April 2019 (the period).
Keywords:
PP; central bank; governance; audit; risk management framework; lending; governance arrangement; central bank participant; central bank autonomy provision; central bank safeguards framework; central bank authority; Internal audit; Central bank governance; External audit; Auditing; Monetary statistics; Global; Middle East; Western Hemisphere; West Africa; Europe
Cover Policy Papers
Review Of The Fund’s Policy On Multiple Currency Practices: Initial Considerations
International Monetary Fund. Legal Dept.
,
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
,
International Monetary Fund. Strategy, Policy, &amp
,
Review Department
, and
International Monetary Fund. Research Dept.
This paper reviews the Fund’s policy on multiple currency practices (MCPs). There remain strong economic and legal reasons to retain a policy on MCPs. The over-arching aim of the review is to make the policy and its application more effective. Based on this review, the paper proposes initial considerations for reforming features of the policy that have created challenges. • Clarifying the concept of “official action” to focus on measures that segment FX markets. • Eliminating potentiality. • Updating the threshold for permissible FX spreads. • Adjusting approval policies. • Reviewing links with capital transactions. • Considering merits of a remedial framework.
Keywords:
PP; article; The Fund; MCP Policy; market; transaction; exchange transaction; exchange restriction; fund member; transaction vis-à-vis; Multiple currency practices; Exchange rates; Exchange restrictions; Currencies; Global; IMF's transparency policy; Middle East; Central Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
A National Wealth Approach to Banking Crises and Financial Stability
Mr. Olivier M Frecaut
The paper explores a different, supplementary way to assess and manage a particular type of banking crises, those arising from a rise of nonperforming loans to the corporate sector. It relies on a “national wealth approach,” focusing on the distribution of net wealth among economic sectors and its interaction with developments in the banking system. It identifies avenues for policy response optimization, based on an integrated macrofinancial analytical framework, both for the prevention and the resolution of these types of economic events.
Keywords:
WP; income statement; bank data; banking sector issue; collection capability; work agenda; Banking sector distress; National accounts; Macro-financial analysis integration; orphan financial assets; profitability data; value creation; bank borrower; bank capital; financial condition; Banking crises; Commercial banks; Financial statements; Financial sector stability; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
A National Wealth Approach to Banking Crises and Financial Stability
Mr. Olivier M Frecaut
The paper explores a different, supplementary way to assess and manage a particular type of banking crises, those arising from a rise of nonperforming loans to the corporate sector. It relies on a “national wealth approach,” focusing on the distribution of net wealth among economic sectors and its interaction with developments in the banking system. It identifies avenues for policy response optimization, based on an integrated macrofinancial analytical framework, both for the prevention and the resolution of these types of economic events.
Keywords:
WP; income statement; bank data; banking sector issue; collection capability; work agenda