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International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
Malaysia’s economic performance has significantly improved in 2024, supported by strong domestic and external demand. Disinflation is taking hold and external pressures have eased. The favorable economic conditions provide a window of opportunity to build macroeconomic policy buffers and accelerate structural reforms, especially as risks to growth are tilted to the downside amid an uncertain global outlook. Risks to the inflation outlook are tilted to the upside, including from global commodity price shocks and potential wage pressures.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
India’s financial system has withstood the pandemic well and has become more resilient since the 2017 FSAP. Nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs)—especially nonbank financial companies (NBFCs) providing credit with wholesale financing—and market financing have grown, making the financial system more diverse and interconnected. The role of the state has diminished, yet it remains significant, including in using the financial system to pursue social and public finance goals.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
The main objective of the FSSR diagnostic mission was to help the PNG authorities build a roadmap of technical assistance (TA) to address identified financial sector needs and gaps, with a view to strengthen resilience of financial institutions and to enhance the policy framework. The PNG FSSR diagnostic covered six areas: (i) macroprudential policy; (ii) regulation and supervision of banks and other deposit-taking financial institutions; (iii) regulation and supervision of insurance companies and pension funds; (iv) financial safety net and crisis preparedness framework; (v) financial market infrastructure; and (vi) financial sector statistics.
Corinne C Delechat
,
Umang Rawat
, and
Ara Stepanyan
As relatively small open economies, South-East Asian emerging markets (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand or ASEAN-4) are highly susceptible to external shocks—both financial and real—that could induce large capital flows and exchange rate volatility that could lead to foreign exchange market dysfunction. With the exception of Bank Negara Malaysia, ASEAN-4 central banks mostly have flexible inflation-targeting frameworks for monetary policy implementation. Their main policy objectives include medium-term price stability, sustainable economic growth, and financial stability. Central Banks in ASEAN-4 economies have been early pilots in the operationalization of the IMF’s Integrated Policy Framework (IPF) in 2022-23, given their experience in using multiple policy tools besides the monetary policy rate, including macroprudential measures, foreign exchange intervention (FXI), and capital flow management measures, to achieve their multiple objectives. They have welcomed the IPF as a systematic, frictions-based approach to analyze the use of these multiple tools to manage trade-offs across policy objectives. This paper takes stock of the experience from these pilots, both from the perspective of country authorities and of IMF country teams. It aims at distilling key lessons, which could be used to inform broader IPF operationalization. The IPF conceptual framework and a related quantitative model were used to assess policy trade-offs in ASEAN-4 in the event of adverse external shocks. These applications reaffirmed the importance of using monetary policy to address persistent inflationary pressures stemming from real shocks and allowing the exchange rate to act as a shock absorber. However, a complementary use of FXI could improve trade-offs between price, financial, and output stability when economies are faced with large and financial shocks that result in abrupt spikes in uncovered interest rate parity premia resulting in inefficiently tight financial conditions that could hurt growth or risking to de-anchor inflation expectations. The IPF pilots also highlighted some challenges faced when operationalizing IPF principles, notably regarding the assessment of frictions and shocks that might justify the use of FXI. In particular, country teams at times lacked sufficient information to adequately assess the extent of frictions. Moreover, the time-varying nature of IPF frictions and the non-linear effects of shocks make it difficult to assess situations when benefits of a complementary use of FXI would overweigh its costs.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper presents a technical note on Financial Supervision and Regulation of Climate Related issues in Japan. Japan's transition to a net zero economy requires the decarbonization of high-greenhouse gas intensive industrial sectors such as steel. The Japanese authorities have been working on a number of climate-related activities relevant to banks and insurers. Banks and insurers have identified transition and physical risks as potential sources of increasing credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, and reputational risk. Discussions with Financial Services Agency (FSA) supervisory staff revealed that there is yet to be a systematic approach to addressing climate issues in regular supervisory interactions with banks and insurers. The Climate Guidance sets out the FSA’s expectations for financial institutions to support clients’ and investees’ responses to climate change in order to manage financial institutions’ climate-related risks. Japan is leading the way in the implementation of climate-related disclosures.
International Monetary Fund. Institute for Capacity Development
This supplement includes five background papers and provides background information on various aspects of capacity development (CD) for the main Board paper, Review of the Fund’s Capacity Development Strategy—Towards a More Flexible, Integrated, and Tailored Model. It is divided into five sections, each consisting of a different background paper. The five sections cover (1) CD Delivery Modalities; (2) Evaluation and Impact; (3) Regional Capacity Development Centers and Field Presence; (4) HR Policies; and (5) Mapping the Fund’s Position vis-à-vis Other CD Providers.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper presents financial system stability assessment (FSSA) report for Maldives. Maldives is a tourism dependent economy with a small financial sector dominated by state-owned banks. Systemic risks stem largely from a growing sovereign-bank nexus, high dollarization, and a shortage of foreign exchange. The Financial Sector Assessment Program concluded that further strengthening of financial sector policies is needed to improve the resilience of the financial system. The authorities should adopt regulation to address frictions in the foreign exchange market, resume liquidity management operations and develop systemic risk indicators. Priority should also be given to establishing a macroprudential framework along with instruments, publishing a financial stability report, and ensuring full reporting of non-bank payment obligations. The financial safety net and crisis management arrangements should be enhanced by improving early intervention mechanisms, introducing recovery and resolution planning, and enhancing the deposit insurance system. In addition, an effective liquidity assistance framework should be established.

Abstract

The high exposure of open economies to shocks makes them particularly vulnerable to volatile capital flows and advanced economy monetary policy spillovers. How should and do domestic policymakers respond? The traditional answer has been to use flexible exchange rates as a shock absorber. But flexible exchange rates may not offer full insulation when financial markets are imperfect. This book brings together recent empirical studies at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the effectiveness of different tools in responding to such shocks. The 18 chapters in this volume provide a rich background to the recently launched Integrated Policy Framework by the IMF. They comprise assessments of countries’ actual use of different tools, as well as in-depth evaluations of their effectiveness and side effects, covering macroprudential policies, monetary policy, foreign-exchange intervention, and capital flow management policies. Many of the studies involve new data and methods to tackle the inherently difficult problems in identifying and comparing the effects of policies under different circumstances. As a result, the volume offers the reader a comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the policy-oriented empirical research that has informed the development of a new way of thinking about open-economy macroeconomics at the IMF.

International Monetary Fund. Statistics Dept.
and
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This Technical Assistance (TA) paper on Nepal highlights the financial sector stability review. The mission conducted a diagnostic review of the financial sector oversight capacity and proposed a Technical Assistance Roadmap (TARM) to support the authorities’ efforts to strengthen the identification, analysis, and mitigation of risks to financial stability in Nepal. The Nepal Rastra Bank has developed its approach to supervision and continuing to strengthen its capacity will help improve the resilience of the banking sector. Payment systems modernization efforts have gained momentum, but further progress is needed to improve the safety and efficiency of payment systems to support monetary policy and financial stability. Financial sector statistics in Nepal have scope for improvement. Currently, the monetary and financial statistics cover the central bank, and other depository corporations comprising of commercial banks, development banks, and finance companies, which accept deposits. The mission’s diagnostic review supports a TA plan. The main recommendations are summarized and the comprehensive TARM is provided in this paper.
International Monetary Fund. Legal Dept.
,
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
,
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
, and
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
This technical assistance report on Sri Lanka discusses the Governance Diagnostic Assessment. In recent years, a confluence of shocks and policy missteps led to a deep economic and governance crisis. Sri Lanka continues to face severe economic, social and governance challenges. The authorities have requested IMF assistance to analyse governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities that are macro-critical in their own right and stand in the way of achieving the objectives of the reform program. The report highlights immediate and short-term measures to address key corruption issues, as well as structural reforms that require more time and resources but are essential to strengthen governance and initiate lasting change. The recommendations are designed as a coherent approach to improving governance through a focus on: clarity of authority and responsibility for core functions; financial and operational independence of essential accountability and law enforcement institutions; transparency in government practices and performance, especially relating to the planning, spending, and accounting for the use of public funds and assets; inclusive, accessible, and rule-based means to enforce private agreements and challenge official behaviour; and efficient mechanisms for making information public and holding organizations and individuals to account for their performance and behaviour.