Financing for Sustainable Development: Tackling Big Challenges
By Chris Lane
Without adequate financing, the best intentions of the global community expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain beyond reach.
The IMF 30 Years After Brady
By Rhoda Weeks-Brown and Martin Mühleisen
Last month marked the 30th anniversary of the announcement of the “Brady plan”. In response to the 1980s Latin American debt crisis, this plan, named after then US Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady, allowed countries to exchange their commercial bank loans for bonds backed by US Treasuries, bringing an end to a tumultuous period with possible systemic consequences for the global banking system at the time. (more…)
Weak Spots in Global Financial System Could Amplify Shocks
By Tobias Adrian and Fabio Natalucci
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
In the United States, the ratio of corporate debt to GDP is at record-high levels. In several European countries, banks are overloaded with government bonds. In China, bank profitability is declining, and capital levels remain low at small and medium-size lenders. (more…)
Tackling Corruption in Government
By Vitor Gaspar, Paolo Mauro and Paulo Medas
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
No country is immune to corruption. The abuse of public office for private gain erodes people’s trust in government and institutions, makes public policies less effective and fair, and siphons taxpayers’ money away from schools, roads, and hospitals. (more…)
Assessing the Risk of the Next Housing Bust
By Claudio Raddatz and Nico Valckx
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Русский
There’s good news for people living in Las Vegas, Miami and Phoenix: the risk of a housing bust like the one they endured during the global financial crisis is fairly small. (more…)
How to Keep Corporate Power in Check
By Federico Díez and Romain Duval
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People are becoming concerned that the rising power of big successful companies may be behind some of the recent sluggish economic growth and rising income inequality. (more…)
Why Investment May Come Under Threat
By Weicheng Lian, Natalija Novta, and Petia Topalova
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
It might be hard to imagine a time when a 512 kilobyte computer cost more than $28,000. That was in 1984. Today, you can buy a much more powerful computer for under $300. (more…)
Economic Forces, Not Tariffs, Drive Changes in Trade Balances
By Johannes Eugster, Florence Jaumotte, Margaux MacDonald, and Roberto Piazza
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
New IMF research finds that macroeconomic factors, not tariffs, explain most of the changes in trade balances between two countries. (more…)