Due to the expanding utilisation of technology, the digital economy’s growth, and the enlarging fragmentation in the payment chain, safeguarding personal information has become a significant concern for both individuals, organisations and governments. Not only is it crucial to safeguard the privacy rights of individuals, but it also has significant implications for businesses, as data […]
Financial Stability
Revolutionising Payment Services: The Impact of the Payment Services Directive (PSD) in the European Union and beyond
03
Feb
Feb
The rise of internet and mobile payments has drastically altered the way people pay for goods and services. This change is not only reflected in an increase in their share of overall payments, but also in the way our habits and preferences have evolved. Banks, payment card companies and intermediaries have responded to these changes […]
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Dollar Strength and its Implications for Emerging Market Capital Flows – A Macro-Financial Perspective
31
May
May
Predominance of the US dollar (USD) funding market, notably post Great Financial Crisis (GFC), has reinforced the macro financial linkages between global financial conditions and capital flows to emerging markets (EM). A stronger dollar is linked to tighter global financial conditions and higher tail risk for EM capital flow withdrawal – the financial risk […]
30
May
May
Stablecoins are a type of digital asset that purports to maintain a stable value by referencing physical, financial or virtual assets (FSB (2020)). They can be further differentiated into currency-based, financial instrument-based, commodity-based and crypto asset-based stablecoins. There are also algorithmic stablecoins that aim to maintain a stable value via protocols that provide for the […]
10
May
May
Despite the relatively widespread adoption of mobile and internet technology in the Caribbean, retail payments[i] are characterised by “high costs and insufficient access for large swathes of the region’s population (BIS (2020)).” The lack of access to a regular bank account or to other services of financial institutions through mobile devices adversely impacts people from […]
16
Feb
Feb
Despite the fact that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are frequently called ‘a solution in search of a problem’, some 86 per cent of central banks worldwide are actively researching the potential for a CBDC. Their design, implementation and adoption will be strongly influenced by country specific objectives and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. One prominent objective for a CBDC is financial inclusion, i.e., facilitating access to financial services for the world’s 1.7 billion under- or unbanked. The implicit assumption is that a CBDC and its associated technology provides better access to financial services than current systems. But this is putting the CBDC cart before the horse: a CBDC can at best be part of the solution, but it is unlikely to be the only solution. For a CBDC to increase financial inclusion, it must address the causes of exclusion, and any CBDC initiative would need to be embedded in a much wider set of reforms undertaken by the government in co-operation with the private sector. A CBDC will enhance inclusion only if this dimension features prominently in its design from the outset. There are more straightforward and targeted ways to support access to financial services than to launch a CBDC.
Financial Stability, Supervision
To Bail-In or not To Bail-In: A Question for Asian Financial Policymakers
16
Aug
Aug
The Great Financial Crisis (GFC), which began in 2007 and whose effects persisted for a decade, spurred a cavalcade of major worldwide regulatory, supervisory, and resolution reforms for the banking sector and the broader financial sector. In particular, the massive costs incurred by resolution and deposit insurance authorities (and ultimately, taxpayers) to clean up failed […]
13
Jul
Jul
The month of June 2021 was an extremely eventful month for the cryptocurrency universe, with one positive development (from the standpoint of the industry) helping to offset two negative interventions from authorities, one in May and one in June.[1] The positive development took place on 9 June, when the legislature of El Salvador, at the […]
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Bitcoin Accepted Here – Should Other Emerging and Developing Countries Follow El Salvador and Make Bitcoin Legal Tender?
13
Jul
Jul
Central banks are increasingly taking actions that may cause harm to the economic stability of El Salvador. In order to mitigate the negative impact from central banks, it becomes necessary to authorise the circulation of a digital currency with the supply that cannot be controlled by any central bank. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele On […]
Human Capital, Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Towards a Better Evaluation of Our Training Courses
25
May
May
One of the main activities of The SEACEN Centre is capacity building, so understanding the effectiveness of our training courses is of vital importance. We want to know what works and what does not and how we can improve our training material and teaching modalities to best serve the needs of our member central banks. […]