We calculate indexes of central bank autonomy (CBA) for 163 central banks as of end-2003, and comparable indexes for a subgroup of 68 central banks as of the end of the 1980s. The results confirm strong improvements in both economic and political CBA over the past couple of decades, although...

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical assessment and outline issues in criminal regulation relating to international anti-money laundering (AML) programs. Design/methodology/approach – In the first part, this paper outlines the serious threats posed by transnational laundering...

This paper presents a critical approach to the policy debate about external debt sustainability and debt relief in the High Indebted Poor countries (HIPC). The authors look at the different approaches to and models of debt sustainability and claim that a realistic evaluation of this issue...

This paper analyses theoretically and empirically the architecture of supervisory powers, including the role of the central bank and the degree of integration of banking supervision with the supervision of securities and insurance companies. We focus on results on Basel Core Principles (BCP)...

This paper examines the relationship between the quality of banking supervision and governance of the supervisory agency. The analysis is based on indices constructed from the assessment of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision that measure the quality of banking...