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Business and Economics > Finance: General

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 33 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Armenia, Republic of x
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Cover IMF Working Papers
A Confidence-Financial Inclusion Nexus in the Caucasus and Central Asia?
Kalin I Tintchev
and
Kady Keita
We document novel evidence that confidence in macrofinancial stability has a positive impact on financial inclusion in CCA countries and more broadly. This channel is particularly important for CCA countries, with confidence gains of 1 unit leading to 0.7 unit improvement in financial inclusion. Institutional factors such as level of governance and reliance on transparent policy rules and robust financial safety nets explain a large fraction of the variability in confidence in the region. We find that governance reforms are critical for deepening financial inclusion while the impact of inflation targeting, fiscal rules and deposit insurance schemes is positive and material only when governance levels exceed certain thresholds.
Keywords:
Financial inclusion; confidence; governance; inflation targeting; fiscal rules; deposit insurance; inclusion Nexus; governance reform; CCA country; governance level; governance gap; Fiscal rules; Financial sector development; Global; Central Asia and the Caucasus
Cover Regional Economic Outlook, Middle East and Central Asia, October 2024
Regional Economic Outlook, Middle East and Central Asia, October 2024
Navigating the Evolving Geoeconomic Landscape
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.

Abstract

Economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa and Caucasus and Central Asia regions is projected to strengthen in the near term, but only to the extent that current challenges abate. Ongoing conflicts and oil production cuts are dampening economic performance, and medium-term growth prospects have weakened over the past two decades. Moreover, high uncertainty looms, with key risks including escalating conflicts, increased geoeconomic fragmentation, and commodity price volatility. To boost growth and create jobs—especially for women and youth—reform priorities include strengthening governance, encouraging private sector investment, and advancing financial development.

Keywords:
Middle East; North Africa; Caucasus; Central Asia; Gaza; Sudan; Lebanon; trade patterns; economic growth; reforms; growth prospects; shocks; conflicts; uncertainty; economic performance; growth prospects; risks; oil production cuts; OPEC+; investment; geoeconomic fragmentation; IMF; governance; medium-term; capital deepening; women; youth; employment; commodity price volatility; private sector; financial development; CCA region; CCA economy; CCA country; IMF staff calculation; oil exporter; Total factor productivity; Financial sector development; Oil exports; Inflation; Labor force participation; East Africa; Central Asia and the Caucasus; Global
Cover Technical Assistance Reports
Republic of Armenia: Technical Assistance Report-Tax Compliance and Crypto Assets
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Armenia has committed to the adoption of the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework. To give effect it will need to enact legislation. An eight-step roadmap for implementation was developed. It sets out each activity, assigns responsibilities and sets timelines.
Keywords:
Republic of Armenia; Crypto assets; Tax Compliance.; IMF team; IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department; SRC staff; IMF reviewer; SRC draft; Tax law; Securities markets; Capital gains tax; Tax return filing compliance; Europe; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Supporting Sustainable Financing and Access to Finance in Armenia
Maria Atamanchuk
and
Kiichi Tokuoka
In Armenia, both external and domestic financing face challenges. Armenia’s share of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in private external financing has declined significantly over the past decade. Access to domestic finance in Armenia is also moderate and masks important disparities. Against this background, this paper analyses the determinants of inward FDI and examines the impediments to increasing access to domestic finance. The paper confirms empirically that governance-related structural factors have a significant impact on inward FDI. Similar structural factors, informality and poor accounting practices are reported among major challenges for increasing access to finance for firms in Armenia. This paper finds that to improve financing in Armenia include: implementing structural reforms to improve the business environment, maintaining prudent macroeconomic policies, strengthening financial reporting, and improving financial inclusion through reduced informality in the economy.
Keywords:
Inward FDI; access to finance; financial inclusion; face challenge; sustainable financing; inward foreign direct investment; financing in Armenia; Armenia's share; Foreign direct investment; Business environment; Capital inflows; Loans; Global; Europe; Middle East and Central Asia
Cover IMF Working Papers
Systemwide Liquidity Stress Testing Tool
Ms. Hiroko Oura
Developing a systemic liquidity stress testing tool is challenging due to data constraints and hard-to-model behavioral factors. There has yet to be a uniformly accepted model partly because the nature of systemic liquidity risks differs significantly across countries. This paper offers a simple Excel-based tool to assess the high-level impact of aggregate liquidity stress on the whole economy and gauge its spillover across banks, non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), and non-financial economic sectors. It primarily uses the balance sheet approach (BSA) data—a sector-aggregate matrix of financial exposure by counterpart—that have become increasingly available for various economies with all income levels. The results can identify systemically important financial linkages to be analyzed further and help calibrate macroprudential measures and a liquidity support framework. When liquidity stress stems from capital outflows, the tool can enrich policy discussion based on integrated policy framework (IPF) and international reserve adequacy perspectives.
Keywords:
Systemic liquidity; NBFIs; stress test; integrated policy framework; capital flow; international reserve adequacy; interconnectedness; balance sheet approach; macroprudential policy; financial stability; central bank FX liquidity buffer; cashflow liquidity stress test; liquidity support framework; systemwide liquidity risk; central bank liquidity provision; Liquidity; Liquidity stress testing; International reserves; Stress testing; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Republic of Armenia: Request for a Stand-By Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Alternate Executive Director
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
The economy has maintained a strong momentum, driven by robust consumption and a surge in inflows of income, capital, business, and labor. Inflation has increased markedly due to the sharp rise in food and energy prices and the booming economy, but proactive monetary policy tightening and GDP growth deceleration are projected to bring inflation down in 2023. While robust growth should continue over the medium-term, uncertainty is elevated and downside risks are significant due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, global financial tightening, slowdown in major trading partners, and high food and energy prices. Structural challenges also remain, including high unemployment, weak business environment, and low productivity growth.
Keywords:
keeping inflation expectation; Armenian authorities; IMF arrangement; inflation expectation; labor market outcome; structural reform agenda; Inflation; Global
Cover Departmental Papers
Managing Financial Sector Risks from the COVID-19 Crisis in the Caucasus and Central Asia
Iulia Ruxandra Teodoru
and
Klakow Akepanidtaworn
The COVID-19 crisis raises the risk of renewed financial sector pressures in the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) region in the period ahead. Bank distress and its economic and fiscal fallout have been recurring features of many CCA countries, as seen after the global financial crisis and the 2014–15 oil price shock. Strong policy responses have delayed the full impact of the COVID crisis so far, but financial sector risks will increase once public support is phased out. If these risks are not preemptively addressed, banks’ ability to lend during the recovery phase could be impaired and there may be a need for costly public interventions, as in the past.
Keywords:
Financial risks; stress tests; financial supervision and regulation; CCA country; CCA banking systems; FX risk; CCA bank's capital adequacy ratios; FX-induced credit risk; Financial sector risk; Commercial banks; Credit risk; Nonperforming loans; Central Asia and the Caucasus
Cover Departmental Papers
Macroprudential Policies to Enhance Financial Stability in the Caucasus and Central Asia
Padamja Khandelwal
,
Ezequiel Cabezon
,
Mr. Sanan Mirzayev
, and
Rayah Al-Farah
Limited economic diversification has made the economies of the Caucasus and Central Asia particularly vulnerable to external shocks. The economies in the region are heavily reliant on oil and mining exports as well as remittances. In some countries, tourism and capital flows also play a prominent role in aggregate economic activity.
Keywords:
Financial risks; financial supervision and regulation; macroprudential policy; credit cycles; CCA country; CCA economy; CCA contribution; economies of the Caucasus and Central Asia; credit downturn; banking sector crisis; credit cycle analysis methodology; Macroprudential policy; Credit; Credit gaps; Countercyclical capital buffers; Macroprudential policy instruments; Central Asia and the Caucasus
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Armenia: First Review under the Stand-By Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Armenia
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This paper highlights Republic of Armenia’s First Review Under the Stand-By-Arrangement. Armenia’s economic performance is strong with healthy growth, low inflation, a stable financial system, with increasing foreign reserves and higher revenues. Despite fiscal overperformance, it is key to maintain the reform momentum to strengthen revenue mobilization, including by completing reforms to property taxation. Implementation of the authorities’ reform agenda including efforts to improve governance by establishing a holistic anti-corruption framework, will bolster sustainable and inclusive growth. The monetary policy framework’s focus on price stability has served Armenia well. The authorities’ implementation of Basel III measures will raise the resilience of the financial system, while their plans to develop the capital market and improve access to finance are also welcome.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; government; reform; reform momentum; broad money; government program; strengthening revenue administration; government effectiveness; state budget; Armenian authorities; Capital markets; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
SME Financial Inclusion for Sustained Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia
Mishel Ghassibe
,
Maximiliano Appendino
, and
Samir Elsadek Mahmoudi
This paper offers empirical evidence that greater financial inclusion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can promote higher economic growth and employment, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia regions. First, we show that countries with higher SME financial inclusion exhibit more effective monetary policy transmission and tax collection. Second, we find substantial employment and labor productivity growth gains at the firm level from access to credit, gains that are higher for SMEs. We also obtain evidence of a substantial positive impact on SME employment and labor productivity growth from improved credit bureau coverage and insolvency regimes. Finally, cross-country aggregate evidence confirms the employment and growth gains from SME financial inclusion, which appear larger in the Middle East and Central Asia than in other regions.
Keywords:
WP; SME financial inclusion; Small and Medium Sized Enterprises; Financial Inclusion; Economic Growth; monetary policy transmission; growth gain; output gap; SME Financial inclusion index; labor productivity gain; SME employment; employment growth; Small and medium enterprises; Labor productivity; Productivity; Employment; Middle East and Central Asia