When History Rhymes
November 5, 2018
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The graves of soldiers who died in World War I, near Verdun, France: on the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, leaders should listen closely to the echoes of history (photo: Mathieu Pattier/SIPA/Newscom)
Mark Twain once said that “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” As heads of state gather in Paris this week to mark 100 years since the end of World War I, they should listen closely to the echoes of history and avoid replaying the discordant notes of the past. Continue reading “When History Rhymes” »
Realizing the Potential of the G20 Compact with Africa
October 30, 2018
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Power Plant, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The G20 Compact with Africa was initiated under the German G20 Presidency to promote private investment in Africa, including in infrastructure. So far, eleven African countries have joined the initiative: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia (photo: Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters/Newsom)
The Compact with Africa focuses on a fundamental challenge for the continent: how to accelerate private sector investment and create jobs. To realize its full potential, all parties need to deliver. Continue reading “Realizing the Potential of the G20 Compact with Africa” »
Chart of the Week: Financial Reform Report Card
By Tobias Adrian, Dirk Jan Grolleman, and Anastasiia Morozova
October 29, 2018
Countries have improved banking sector regulation considerably in the past decade, but areas of weakness remain (Steve Gottlieb/Newscom)
The many 10th anniversary retrospectives of the global financial crisis mostly agree: the financial system is safer today than it was when US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Financial Reform Report Card” »
Chart of the Week: Government Debt Is Not the Whole Story: Look at the Assets
By IMFBlog
October 23, 2018
The Millennium Bridge in London, England: governments often don’t include the value of their assets, like bridges and roads, as well as natural resources, when they measure public wealth (Ingram Publishing/Newscom)
Lost track of your personal finances? You are not alone. Your government has often lost track of its finances too. While it keeps close tabs on debt, it is less clear on how much it owns: the assets. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Government Debt Is Not the Whole Story: Look at the Assets” »
Chart of the Week: Words Count for Central Bank Communications in Latin America
By Juan Yepez
October 15, 2018
Effective central bank communications are essential in guiding market expectations (photo: lionvision/iStock)
When it comes to central banks in Latin America, sometimes words can speak louder than actions. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Words Count for Central Bank Communications in Latin America” »
The Wealth of Nations: Governments Can Better Manage What They Own and Owe
By Vitor Gaspar, Jason Harris, and Alexander Tieman
October 10, 2018
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A firefighter in Auckland, New Zealand: when governments know what they own they can put their assets to better use and can earn about 3 percent of GDP more in revenues to spend on citizens’ well being (Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari/Newscom)
What is the state of your personal finances? You probably think first about your debts: your mortgage, your credit card balance, and your student loans. But you probably also think about how much cash is sitting in the bank, the value of your house, and the rest of your nest egg.
Surprisingly, most governments do not approach their finances this way. Continue reading “The Wealth of Nations: Governments Can Better Manage What They Own and Owe” »
The Financial System Is Stronger, but New Vulnerabilities Have Emerged in the Decade Since the Crisis
October 10, 2018
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Debt owed by governments, companies and households in economies with globally systemically important financial sectors has risen since the global financial crisis (Photo: Richard B. Levine/Newscom)
Although the global expansion has plateaued, easy monetary policies continue to support growth. But we shouldn’t rest too easily. Chapter 1 of the latest Global Financial Stability Report finds that short-term risks to the financial system have increased somewhat over the past six months. Continue reading “The Financial System Is Stronger, but New Vulnerabilities Have Emerged in the Decade Since the Crisis” »
Global Growth Plateaus as Economic Risks Materialize
October 9, 2018
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Uncertainty over trade policy is becoming a drag on economic activity (photo: Imagine China/Newscom)
The latest World Economic Outlook report projects that global growth will remain steady over 2018–19 at last year’s rate of 3.7 percent. This growth exceeds that achieved in any of the years between 2012 and 2016. It occurs as many economies have reached or are nearing full employment and as earlier deflationary fears have dissipated. Thus, policymakers still have an excellent opportunity to build resilience and implement growth-enhancing reforms.
Continue reading “Global Growth Plateaus as Economic Risks Materialize” »
Lasting Effects: The Global Economic Recovery 10 Years After the Crisis
By Wenjie Chen, Mico Mrkaic, and Malhar Nabar
October 3, 2018
عربي,中文, Español, Français, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 日本語, Português, Русский
Woman cleaning in Berlin, Germany: the 2008 global financial crisis has had long-lasting effects on economic growth (photo: Caro/Olaf Jandke/Newscom)
In the year following the 2008 financial crisis, economic activity declined in half of all countries in the world. Our analysis in Chapter 2 of the October World Economic Outlook shows that in many countries output is still well below levels that would have prevailed had output followed its precrisis trend. Continue reading “Lasting Effects: The Global Economic Recovery 10 Years After the Crisis” »
A Decade After Lehman, the Financial System Is Safer. Now We Must Avoid Reform Fatigue
By Adolfo Barajas, Claudio Raddatz, and James P. Walsh
October 3, 2018
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 日本語, Português, Русский
A ticker in New York’s Times Square flashes the news of the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008: In the decade since, the financial sector has strengthened considerably, but the reform agenda remains incomplete (Photo: Joshua Lott/Reuters/Newscom)
In the decade since the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers sparked the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, regulation and supervision of the financial sector have been strengthened considerably. This has reduced the risk of another crisis, with all its attendant woes—unemployment, foreclosures, bankruptcies. But a new risk has emerged: reform fatigue. Continue reading “A Decade After Lehman, the Financial System Is Safer. Now We Must Avoid Reform Fatigue” »
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