In the last decade, many of the more advanced developing countries in Latin America and Asia have deregulated and opened up their financial markets. What impact has this had on the efficiency of the financial sector? How can the existence of sustained interest differentials be explained?

The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a more global economy reflecting the continued rise in trade (especially of manufactures) as a proportion of output, a major shift of international specialisation, faster diffusion of technical progress and the globalisation of financial markets....