Israel’s compliance with International Organization of Securities Commissions’ objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation has been assessed. The regulatory regime is well developed and in most respects is comparable with that of major jurisdictions. For the most part, it is...

This technical note assesses the reform of Spanish savings banks (SSBs). It provides a brief overview of the SSB institutional framework before the reform, and describes the main factors that led to the financial distress, albeit uneven, of the SSB sector. The note outlines major regulatory and...

Inflation followed a strikingly uniform pattern in all countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia during the period 1996-2009, falling until about 2000 and then rising. International fuel prices do not help explain this pattern. This conclusion is robust even when different...

The impact of the 2009 tsunami on tourism and on the Samoan economy is likely to be substantial. The effectiveness of monetary transmission in Samoa has improved over time; however, it is still below international standards. The adverse impact of the crisis on the functioning of the banking...

In many countries, the activities of public enterprises have an important fiscal impact. While the precise nature of this impact is often obscured, it is important that it be reflected in measures of overall fiscal activity. The paper is intended to raise and clarify some of the issues involved...

The resilience of the Czech financial system to macroeconomic shocks and structural weaknesses has strengthened considerably as a result of recent reform efforts. Stress tests indicate that the Czech banking system now shows only moderate vulnerability to market and credit risks. To enable more...

This paper discusses key findings of the Detailed Assessment of Observance of the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation–Government Securities Division’s Observance of the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems/International Organization of Securities Commissions (CPSS–IOSCO)...

Economic growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been impressive with GDP. The dominance of foreign-owned bank subsidiaries has transformed the financial sector and altered the risks to financial stability. Reforms should focus on strengthening banking supervision and adapting it to the...

This paper presents key findings of Latvia’s Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on Observance of Standards and Codes on Banking Supervision; Payment Systems; Securities Regulation; Insurance Regulation; Corporate Governance; and Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency....