"The relationships among competition in the financial sector, access of firms to external financing, and associated economic growth are ambiguous in theory. Moreover, measuring competition in the financial sector can be complex. In this paper Claessens and Laeven first estimate for 16 countries...

There has been significant development of Mali's banking sector in recent years, but it remains shallow, and access to banking services is limited. With the opening of a new bank in 2014, there are now 14 commercial banks operating in Mali. There has been a positive evolution of the banking...

The purpose of this note is to explore the reasons for a comparatively high interest rate spread in Kazakhstan in the context of competition in the banking sector. In spite of significant gains in efficiency made in recent years, operational costs and provisioning for loan losses remain high...

The introduction of new much higher minimum capital requirements and the subsequent banking sector consolidation created a platform for Nigerian banks to expand within the region and more globally. After capitalization, several Nigerian banks found themselves with large amounts of capital while...

The experiences of past financial crises have strengthened the Russian bank resolution framework. The resolution framework has been effective in preserving financial stability. The effectiveness of bank resolution could be improved. Introduction of the full range of resolution powers and...

This technical note (TN) provides a stocktaking of the current state of the implementation of the key recommendations made by the IMF and the World Bank in their 2015 assessment report on the observance of Basel Core Principles (BCPs) for effective banking supervision in Bulgaria. It provides an...

This Technical Note was prepared in the context of a World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in the Republic of El Salvador in March 2016. This FSAP Development Module focuses on (i) financial systems issues, including competition and efficiency; (ii) financial inclusion and...

The purpose of this report is to gain an understanding of the financial reporting requirements for the banks in a jurisdiction in addition to or instead of the requirements for commercial enterprises in general. The term bank in this assessment is used to refer to institutions authorized to...

In 2007-08 Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the central bank of Afghanistan, was in the process of reforming the financial sector. While some considerable advances have been made with respect to basic legislation, some central banking reform, the introduction of new currency, and the beginnings of a...