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Petr Jakubik
The technical assistance aimed to build capacity to monitor and assess systemic risk for non-bank financial institutions in the Grenada Authority for the Regulation of Financial Institutions (GARFIN). The mission underlined the need to clarify the macroprudential mandate and cooperation with the ECCB to conduct the macroprudential work accordingly. A potential extension of the existing Annual Report and Accounts covering key financial stability indicators and their assessment could be considered. It further highlighted the need to revise the existing reporting templates to reflect systemic risk better. Finally, the important role of the data management system was underlined.
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This paper highlights Ecuador’s Request for an Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The authorities implemented swift and bold measures in early 2024 to address the fiscal and liquidity challenges and requested a 48-month EFF arrangement of SDR 3 billion to support their policy plans and advance an ambitious structural reform agenda. IMF estimates that IMF resources are needed to close a financing gap of about US$4 billion during the program period, after factoring in an ambitious and large fiscal plan, financial support from international financial institutions and official bilateral partners, and renewed access to international capital markets. The baseline scenario under the program is, however, subject to substantive risks, stemming from both external and domestic factors. IMF assesses that the policy program provides a reasonably strong prospect of success, amid broad support to the main objectives of the EFF arrangement, and strong commitment and capacity by the authorities to take measures to ensure its successful implementation.
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. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This paper discusses Jamaica’s 2023 Article IV Consultation and Second Reviews under the Arrangement under the Precautionary and Liquidity Line and Arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility. Over the last decade, Jamaica has successfully reduced public debt, anchored inflation, and strengthened its external position. It has built a strong record of accomplishment of investing in institutions and prioritizing macroeconomic stability. Growth is expected to slow in the coming year—converging to potential—and inflation should stabilize around the central bank’s target. Current policies are building resilience for Jamaica to face adverse shocks. Discussions focused on policy reforms that will continue to bolster the credibility of fiscal and monetary policy frameworks, strengthen financial stability, and raise growth. Medium-term policies to foster equitable growth, tackle supply side constraints and raise productivity can unleash Jamaica’s potential over the medium term. The reform measure to establish a natural disaster reserve fund is also assessed to be met, albeit with a minor deviation—IMF staff assesses that the measure is substantively implemented and that the objective of the reform measure is met.
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
The 2023 Article IV Consultation highlights that macroeconomic imbalances built during the pandemic have been largely resolved, supported by tighter macroeconomic policies deployed during late 2021–22 in Chile. Growth is expected to pick up to close to 2 percent in 2024 and 2–2.5 percent in the medium term. Inflation is projected to converge to the 3-percent target in 2024. Key external risks are the uncertainties around the potentially higher-for-longer interest rates in advanced economies, a growth slowdown in major trading partners, and the intensification of regional conflicts in the world. Policies have supported macroeconomic stability. In the context of disinflation acceleration, the Central Bank of Chile lowered the monetary policy rate by 400 basis points since July 2023. The headline fiscal balance is estimated to decline to about -2.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2023 due to weaker tax revenues amid an economic slowdown, lower copper prices, and other transitory factors. The 2024 budget envisions a moderate deficit reduction within a medium-term fiscal plan to a broadly balanced fiscal position by 2026. The ongoing implementation of the countercyclical capital buffer will strengthen financial resilience in periods of stress.

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. Strategy, Policy, & Review Department
The Fund’s precautionary toolkit rests on the simple proposition that facilitating crisis prevention is far less costly than crisis resolution. Its value increases with systemic risk. Serial shocks to the global trading and financial systems pose significant and persistent headwinds for well-integrated emerging markets. An adequately funded global financial safety net (GFSN) with a suite of precautionary tools allows qualifying members to respond to balance of payments (BoP) shocks, reducing the incidence of crises and limiting contagion. The Fund is the only layer of the GFSN available to all members; other layers vary in their availability and externalities. In this context, the overarching objective of this review of the Flexible Credit Line (FCL), Short-term Liquidity Line (SLL), and Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL) is to ensure that the precautionary facilities toolkit (henceforth “the toolkit”) is fit for purpose for the challenges ahead.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper discusses financial system stability assessment (FSSA) in Ecuador. Banks and credit cooperatives dominate Ecuador’s financial system. While dollarization provides an important anchor for the Ecuadorean economy, systemic liquidity risks are high due to the limited capacity of the central bank to provide liquidity. The financial sector is overall resilient to adverse macrofinancial shocks but some institutions have meaningful solvency and liquidity vulnerabilities. To preserve confidence it is key to enhance capitalization, promptly recognize loan losses, and address unviable institutions. The FSSA concluded that institutional framework for financial sector oversight is complex, uncoordinated, and prone to political intervention. Reforms are needed to enhance supervisory independence, prioritize safety and soundness; separate prudential supervision from other functions, and substantially strengthen the supervisory approach. The macroprudential framework needs further progress by developing stronger financial sector-wide analytical capacity, improving information sharing and coordination, and clarifying the roles between multiple agencies.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
The paper presents Trinidad and Tobago’s technical assistance (TA) on fintech regulation and legislation. The impact of fintech in Trinidad and Tobago is currently concentrated in the payments sector. This report covers the three areas where TA was provided by the mission team. The current e-money framework and licensing process can be further enhanced. The report recommends that authorities should carry out a feasibility study with an aim of improving the JIH, but a RS should not be a priority. The authorities should also conduct an impact assessment for legal and regulatory reforms to assist them in the development of a strategy for crypto assets. An impact assessment should evaluate the costs and benefits of legal and regulatory action in the context of the relative importance of crypto assets activities in the country, and the existence of competing legislative and regulatory priorities. Other alternatives, such as a detailed legal regime, or using exemptions to accommodate the needs of new activities, present more disadvantages, such as the lengthy and cumbersome legislative process or the lack of a legal basis for the use of general exemptions.
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This technical assistance report on Aruba highlights the financial stability diagnostic and scoping mission. The economy of Aruba is tourist dependent, which is an important source of vulnerability. The major source of risk comes from lending. Banks are increasingly exposed to the real estate market and compete with nonregulated lenders. Residential house prices have increased significantly in some regions since the start of the pandemic driven by strong demand from nonresidential buyers as well as higher construction costs due to coronavirus disease-related supply constraints. The future Financial Stability Department (FSD) is advised to develop a strategy on Macroprudential Policy (MaP). Based on the macroprudential strategy, the FSD should prepare the methodology for the introduction of the MaP instruments chosen as well as ensure the necessary preparations in terms of data collection for this purpose. The data available to the Central Bank of Aruba is sufficient for starting systemic risk monitoring, but some data gaps should be addressed. The monitoring of systemic risk and the development of macroprudential tools requires more granular, frequent, and timely data.