The adverse impact of the crisis on Luxembourg’s growth outlook is partly mitigated by the authorities’ well-conceived fiscal policy response. The staff report for Luxembourg’s 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights economic developments and policies. It combines...

The Selected Issue Paper discusses the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) balance sheet risks and policy implications. Despite increased profit allocations, SNB capital has not kept pace with its growing balance sheet. The paper also explores the empirical determinants of pressures on the Swiss...

The staff report for the 2010 Article IV Consultation underlies a thorough and objective view of the macroeconomic situation in Luxembourg and the challenges the economy is facing. The country’s enviable position of public finances at the onset of the crisis provided the space to...

This paper presents a Detailed Assessment of Mexico’s compliance with the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision and Transparency of Banking Supervision. Fiscal consolidation reduced the gross public debt-to-GDP ratio to below 50 percent, providing the foundations for a...

This paper discusses key findings of the Assessment of Financial Sector Supervision and Regulation for Panama. The assessment of bank supervision showed a high degree of compliance with the Basel Core Principles (BCP) reflecting generally satisfactory implementation combined with an adequate...

This paper discusses key findings of the detailed assessment of observance of financial sector standards and codes in Switzerland. Switzerland has a relatively unique banking sector, with a high market concentration by the two largest domestic banks. The overall assessment of the peer-review...

This technical note highlights the financial sector assessment program update of Austria with factual update for effective banking supervision. Financial sector regulation and supervision should be conducted in the general public interest. Although authorities have acted effectively in recent...

This paper presents a Detailed Assessment and Updates of Financial Sector Standards and Codes for Kazakhstan. The assessment reveals that although Kazakhstan’s banking system is liquid, there are significant variations from bank to bank, with the distinctions between the tenge and foreign...

The increased presence of foreign banks in a country's domestic banking system necessitates the development of effective cross-border prudential supervision where the consolidated supervision is the essential element. This paper presents foreign bank supervision in terms of division of...

The typical portrait of monetary policy has the banks and the money supply being manipulated through changes in bank reserves. However, with only a small portion of bank deposits now subject to reserve requirements, an alternative explanation of how monetary policy influences banks is needed....