In the face of popular pressure, President Bouteflika stepped down after 20 years in power, yet much uncertainty remains about the transition to a new government. Algeria’s growth model of hydrocarbon-financed public spending is not feasible with low oil prices, and wide-ranging reforms are needed.

Commercial Bank Coins and Central Bank Digital Currencies: Potential Prudential Treatments.

Another credit expansion has been underway during Q1 of this year, and again coincided with rising volatility in the $/TRY exchange rate. Volatile markets necessitate a shift away from credit-driven growth, to a new growth model with an emphasis on structural reforms.

“Only” $3.3 trillion was added to the global debt mountain last year, bringing the total at over $243 trillion.

Portfolio inflows to Emerging Markets were $25 billion in March. Equity and debt inflows reached $8 billion and $18 billion, respectively. Net capital flows rose into positive territory in February.

Sustainable growth high on the policy agenda; Market fragmentation poses risks for scaling up green finance markets; Demographic and social challenges for growth in China point to a decline in savings rates and home sales

After a decade of super easy monetary policy in the G-3 countries, our data show that an EM positioning overhang may have built up, with successive dovish Fed shifts becoming less and less EM positive. Setting aside China, this latest rebound in flows to EM looks weak, with only Indonesia and Mexico seeing meaningful Q1 inflows.

The IIF has responded to the initial consultation of the FSB on the effects of financial regulatory reforms on SME financing.

Non-resident capital flows to MENAP are projected to rise slightly to $215 billion in 2019. Strong fundamentals in key countries, including large financial buffers and low debt, should support flows. Sovereign bond issuance will remain the main source of non-resident capital inflows.

Stretching out policy support; U.S. banks build up holdings of domestic government debt—potential liquidity risk?; Higher U.S. budget deficits will keep net borrowing needs at high levels; Less foreign demand for Treasuries—though domestic demand has remained solid

We have unveiled a new database on EM real money positioning. We begin to add bank-intermediated flows to our database, which comove with real money flows in Turkey and Argentina. The EM positioning overhang may be greater than initially assumed.

The March 2019 IIF Global Regulatory Update provides updates on the Financial Stability Board, current work streams in Regulatory Capital, Recovery and Resolution, Cyber Security, Digital Finance, Sustainable Finance, Insurance and upcoming events. 

Venezuela’s GDP decline is nearly unprecedented, as is the collapse of oil output, its main export. The initial impact of US sanctions was manageable, but history suggests they will have severe effects. Recoveries from oil output collapses tend to be fast, making higher oil revenue feasible if policies change.

This paper proposes some alternate ways of achieving the desired public policy goals, within a framework of international cooperation that facilitates data flows across borders. 

Since submitting the industry response letter for consultation the Discussion Paper (DP): “Financial resources to support CCP equity in resolution", the industry working group has also developed an Incentives Analysis of recovery and resolution tools.

The industry comment letter was submitted to the BCBS on March 14.