The objective of this paper is to describe the evolution, composition, and determinants of financing to the nonfinancial private sector in Mexico between 2000 and 2005. Supported by the macroeconomic environment and financial system reforms, total financing to the private sector (particularly...

The objective of this policy paper is to identify and propose high-level legal and regulatory reforms to Colombia's financial system structure that would enhance efficiency and/or mitigate risks. Five specific and four general reforms are proposed and evaluated based on their compatibility with...

"The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the changes in the calculation of minimum regulatory capital requirements for credit risk that have been drafted by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel II). Even though the revised credit capital rules represent a dramatic...

A large banking system has served Cyprus well to date. It has supported the country's outward-oriented, services-driven economic model and has significantly contributed to output and employment. The question going forward is whether banking system growth can continue indefinitely and at what...

"Balancing Cooperation and Competition in Retail Payment Systems: Lessons from Latin America Case Studies" presents the findings of four case studies in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico) that have explored the issue of cooperation and competition in different retail payments...

In the United States and Europe faulty credit ratings and flawed rating processes are widely perceived as being among the key contributors to the global financial crisis. That has brought them under intense scrutiny and led to proposals for radical reforms. The ongoing debate, while centered in...

This paper briefly reviews the causes and propagation mechanisms of the global financial crisis, and the types of policy responses that have been undertaken to date in order to mitigate its adverse effects. It subsequently examines the way that it has been transmitted to the Cypriot banking...

The immediate financial sector policy responses to the financial crisis - including emergency liquidity support, expansion of financial safety nets, and interventions in financial institutions - have succeeded in stemming widespread panic. But the effort has generally been insufficient and ad...