The condition of banking systems in developing countries strongly influences the design and effectiveness of economic adjustment policies. Bank portfolio weakness can limit the flexibility of interest rate policy, the scope of financial reforms, and the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy....

In this paper we construct indices of transparency of monetary and financial policies, based on self-evaluations carried out by 135 IMF member countries in 1999, and use them to identify transparency patterns across different policies and country groups. We find that across all countries,...

The financial turmoil of the late 1990s prompted a broad search for tools and techniques for detecting and preventing financial crises, and more recent episodes of instability have high lighted the importance of continuous monitoring of financial systems as a tool for preventing crises. This...

Liechtenstein has a GDP of US$5.2 billion, of which 40 percent comes from industry and 30 percent from financial services. Currently, 15 banks operate in Liechtenstein (one additional bank is in the process of being wound down without loss to the depositors). The market is highly concentrated...

Developing an effective framework for cross-border resolution is a key priority in international regulatory reform. Large bank failures during the global financial crisis brought home the lack of adequate tools for resolving 'too-big-to-fail' institutions. In cross-border cases, misaligned...

The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) is a central instrument for the Fund and Bank to promote financial sector soundness in member countries. The FSAP uses quantitative analysis and qualitative tools to help identify the risks and vulnerabilities of a country's financial system,...

Standards assessments serve several important objectives but are not well integrated into Fund surveillance. Financial standards assessments, when undertaken in the context of FSAPs, are used to identify weaknesses in financial regulation and supervision, or other areas covered by international...

Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs) are measures that indicate the current financial health and soundness of a country's financial institutions, and their corporate and household counterparts. FSIs include both aggregated individual institution data and indicators that are representative of...