This paper assesses how various types of financial risk such as credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk affect banking stability in the ten countries that joined the European Union most recently, and eight neighboring countries. It also examines how the quality of supervisory standards may...

In this paper, we analyze credit growth in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade focusing on the post-2002 rapid credit growth in select countries. We develop regression models of the fundamental determinants of bank credit and use them to examine whether they can fully explain developments in...

This paper presents a market-based framework for pricing Fund liquidity assistance that accounts for the credit risk and the insurance benefit involved in such operations. It is based on the isomorphic correspondence between Fund liquidity and common stock put options. Although only...

The use of collateral has become one of the most widespread risk mitigation techniques. While it brings stabilizing effects to the individual lender we argue that it may exacerbate systemic risk through margin call activation. We show how a liquidity shock to the cash lender may propagate as a...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This paper discusses the Financial System Stability Assessment for South Africa, and reviews the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Securities Regulation. The assessment reveals that South Africa’s sophisticated financial system is fundamentally sound and has so far...

The Financial System Stability Assessment found the financial sector to be vibrant, resilient, highly competitive, and well supervised and regulated. Stress tests showed credit institutions and insurers to be highly resilient to a variety of shocks. It also found a high degree of observance of...

This paper presents key findings of the Third Review under the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) in Rwanda. Program performance was broadly satisfactory. All end-June quantitative assessment criteria were met. Structural benchmarks were partially met as the pace of implementation of structural...

The discussions centered on the needed steps to tighten monetary conditions, curb banks’ external borrowing, and reduce banks’ vulnerability to a sharp deterioration in the quality of loan portfolios. Strong expansion in oil and non-oil receipts in 2005 permitted continued rapid...