Latest articles from Analysis & Opinion

Caleb Fundanga TEASER

African central banks should invest in Africa's development

September 3, 2012

Africa’s central banks have amassed huge foreign reserves over the last decade, but they typically invest the majority of them in low-yielding developed world assets. They should look to put them to work in Africa instead.

Juan Carlos Echeverry TEASER

Colombia constructs the framework for a resilient economy

September 3, 2012

A combination of responsible fiscal control, economic diversification and social inclusion make for a resilient economy. While Colombia has made significant strides towards achieving such equilibrium there is still headway to be made, with issues such as the country's stubbornly high unemployment rate, social inequality, and the threat from narcotraffickers still to be tackled.

Guido Mantega TEASER

The IMF must reform or run the risk of irrelevance

September 3, 2012

Within the IMF, some members are more equal than others. Only when fast-growing development economies such as the BRICS nations are fairly represented in its decision-making processes can it be described as a truly multilateral organisation.

Finansbank progresses under NBG

Finansbank progresses under NBG's control

September 3, 2012

The National Bank of Greece's acquisition of Turkey's Finansbank in 2006 faced much scepticism but the Turkish bank's chief believes that despite the countries' previous hostile relationship and Greece's recent debt crisis, it was a move that has paid off.

Alan Bollard TEASER

New Zealand learns from the sidelines of the crisis

September 3, 2012

New Zealand may have fared relatively well during the global financial crisis, but the difficult economic climate, combined with specific market failures, has served to raise some serious questions among policy-makers, banks and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand itself.

Facebook and banking... friends at last?

September 3, 2012

Is Facebook banking finally here? Commonwealth Bank of Australia and India's ICICI Bank seem to think so, and the social media site's decision to drop its credit system shows it is moving in the right direction.

Naoyuki Shinohara

Building on Asia's economic success

September 3, 2012

Asia has been a bastion of growth during the global financial crisis, but there are a number of key issues that must be addressed if the region is to continue being a major contributor to global economic growth.

Putting securitisation back on the road

August 27, 2012

The troubled past of some securitisation products is making the comeback of this financial tool in Europe slow and fragile, but unless a bridge can be built from the current situation to an active securitisation market, the hopes for any growth in the continent will dim dramatically. Maybe the new Prime Collateralised Securities label can be that bridge.

Moving Lebanon from stability to growth TEASER

Moving Lebanon from stability to growth

August 27, 2012

Having protected the country's economic stability throughout a period of intense economic and political turmoil, the Lebanese central bank is now tasked with boosting job creation and lowering the country's growing budget deficit.

The self-inflicted weight of financial regulation risks crushing New York's star status

August 27, 2012

New York's Department for Financial Services' recent intervention in Standard Chartered's affairs in Iran were intended to show the city's might as a financial centre. However, this action may well have the opposite effect to that which was desired, and play directly into China's hands.

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