Introduction Since the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) in Asia have strengthened their resilience to external financial shocks by upgrading macroeconomic management frameworks, reforming financial sectors, accumulating FX reserves, making exchange rates more flexible, avoiding excessive short-term dollar inflows, and introducing a regional financial safety net and surveillance process. As […]
Category Archives: Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
26
Feb
Feb
This blog is based on a presentation made by Hanno Lustig at the SEACEN Policy Summit on 5-6 February 2026. For much of the postwar era, the supremacy of the U.S. dollar has been treated as a permanent feature of the international monetary system. However, recent shifts in global finance suggest that we are entering […]
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Rethinking the Dollar: The International Monetary System at a Crossroads
26
Feb
Feb
This blog is based on a presentation made by Jeffrey Frankel at the SEACEN Policy Summit 2026: The Future of the International Monetary System and the Role of Asia (5– 6February 2026). The Dollar’s Legacy and Its “Exorbitant Privilege” The U.S. dollar supplanted the British pound as the dominant international currency in the 20th century. […]
20
Feb
Feb
Stablecoins have become one of the most debated topics in contemporary financial policymaking, especially following the enactment of the GENIUS Act in the United States. Beyond the U.S.—and outside monetary jurisdictions whose exchange rate regimes and monetary policies are closely aligned with the U.S. dollar—policy responses have diverged significantly, ranging from outright bans, as in […]
Financial Stability, Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Capital Flow Management during the Taper Tantrum
20
Feb
Feb
Emerging market economies often face acute challenges in the wake of sudden bouts of market volatility triggered by sharp capital outflows. Managing such turbulence—particularly when macroeconomic fundamentals offer limited support—requires a calibrated mix of conventional and unconventional policy responses. There is rarely a textbook solution to crises of this nature; central banks must deploy all available instruments with agility, while maintaining credible and consistent communication to anchor expectations.
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
When Banks and Insurers Move Together: Why Systemic Risk Lives in the Tails?
19
Jan
Jan
Why bank–insurance linkages matter more than ever? The global financial system no longer operates in silos. Over the past two decades, a significant convergence has occurred: banks have expanded into insurance and asset management, while insurers have deepened their presence in capital markets through corporate bonds, private equity, derivatives, and structured products (Bernardi & Petrella, […]
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Not All Fiscal Cuts Are Created Equal: Why Fiscal Multipliers Matter for Central Banks?
05
Dec
Dec
1. Introduction: Why Fiscal Multipliers Matter for Central Banks? As of September 2025, global public debt soared to $251 trillion, roughly 235% of world GDP (IMF, 2025). Across Asia, governments are under pressure to tighten their budgets to ensure debt sustainability. However, for central banks charged with safeguarding economic and price stability, how those fiscal […]
Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
Nonresponse Bias is Distorting Household Inflation Expectations: Evidence and Policy Fixes
05
Nov
Nov
Author’s note: This blog is based on a published article: CHADWICK, M., CHERRY, R. and GALIMBERTI, J.K. (2025), Nonresponse Bias in Household Inflation Expectations Surveys. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmcb.70002 The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their corresponding institutional affiliations. […]
Financial Stability, Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
How can Emerging and Frontier Markets in Asia attract Global Cross-Border Capital Flows for their Climate Transition?
03
Jul
Jul
“To reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, entities operating in most sectors must undergo a major transformation. The key tool that will enable this transformation is the development of a transition plan that is science based, coherent, comprehensive, transparent and covers all material scopes of emissions and business activities.” CBI Report on Scaling […]
17
Apr
Apr
There has never been any asset that has staged a series of four bubbles, crashed aftereach of them, and after a while regrouped to stage another bubble, the way bitcoin has.John Authors, Points of Return, 26 March 2021 Every aspiring baker knows only too well that getting a soufflé to rise can be a big […]