This study examined policy approaches to payment systems efficiency in the SEACEN countries. Two major findings were as follows. First, cash remained a dominant payment method in a majority of SEACEN countries. A declining trend, however, was found in three countries ¨C Korea, Singapore and...

This paper draws on COIC's experience with deposit-taking institutions during the 1980s and 1990s and presents a number of early warning indicators of financial distress. Early warning indicators do not eliminate bank failures. However, they should lead to early intervention and consequently...

This collaborative project aims to present and compare the latest developments and policies concerning small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in SEACEN member economies. In doing so, the focus is placed on central banks¡¯ initiatives and involvement in national policy to promote SME. The...

This collaborative research project aims to review the existing monitoring procedures and reporting practices on external debt in the SEACEN countries, with a view to improving data collection systems in these countries. It also identifies useful indicators for analysis of external debt position...

This paper investigates the macroeconomic factors in predicting the currency crises in a sample of 7 SEACEN countries using the logit econometric models. The empirical results indicate that the variables that may help predict the timing of the currency crises include real US interest rate, ratio...

This study looks into the impact of capital flows that have been prevalent in some SEACEN countries prior to the recent financial crisis and examines the effectiveness of monetary sterilisation. Empirical findings suggest that monetary sterilisation is the most important policy response in...

The purpose of this collaborative research study is to examine the current financing systems for SMIs in the SEACEN countries and to seek ways to strengthen financing for SMIs. The study comprises two parts. The first part covers an overview and policy suggestions. The second part includes the...

This study examines critically the nature and extent of open market operations (OMO) in the SEACEN countries and suggest policy measures which can contribute to their further development. It also investigates the prerequisites and conditions for effective implementation of OMO in this region.

Notwithstanding several shortcomings of CPI, in the SEACEN region as in elsewhere, for pragmatic purpose, the CPI despite its many flaws is universally accepted as a policy target for monetary policy. This is justified if we examine the construction of the consumer price index itself. Even...

The present economic environment requires central banks to adapt in order to perform their roles properly. With globalisation, they must be able anticipate threats to financial and economic stability. The required competencies of central banks are vastly different from those a decade ago,...