Bagehot was a shadow banker shadow banking central banking and the future of global finance

Factors potentially triggering the turmoil include monetary tightening, weak economic conditions, mismanagement, loss of confidence, maturity and currency mismatches, as well as instances of outright fraud and criminal activities. Most banks are resilient and avoid such difficulties -- but not all. Consequently, financial authorities must maintain preparedness to intervene whenever necessary, all while avoiding unintended consequences that could potentially sow the seeds of future banking crises. Global banking stress The current banking turmoil is largely due to the cycle of monetary tightening. Since early 2022, central banks have been quick to increase interest rates to bring inflation under control. In the United States, the effective Fed Funds rate increased by 500 basis points in just 14 months, a speed never observed since 1988. The European Central Bank has raised its policy rates by 400 basis points since mid-2022 and indicated that more rate hikes are forthcoming. … [Read more...] about Preparedness crucial in safeguarding banking sector

Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Pham Thanh Ha In the remaining months of 2023, monetary policy management is forecast to continue facing many challenges, as both the world and domestic economies are still experiencing complicated developments. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) continues to closely monitor economic and monetary developments at home and abroad in order to proactively and flexibly use monetary policy tools to control inflation and support economic growth. Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, Pham Thanh Ha, spoke with the media about the management of monetary policy. How have external difficulties and challenges, as well as within the country, affected monetary policy management in the first five months of the year? What solutions has the central bank implemented to ease the pressure? In the first months of 2023, many countries continued to face the risk of economic recession and high inflation. The trend of monetary tightening is … [Read more...] about SBV encouragse banks to reduce lending interest rates

The Chinese finance hub is pivoting to embrace crypto despite high-profile failures in recent months, including the meltdown of trading platform FTX, which wiped out more than $1.5 trillion in the market. Hong Kong launches retail-friendly rules for crypto exchanges/ illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com China has had a strict crypto ban since 2021, but in Hong Kong -- which operates on a separate legal framework -- trading has been allowed though unregulated, meaning individual investors use unlicensed platforms. The regulatory regime launched Thursday means that after a one-year transition period, all crypto exchanges in Hong Kong must be licensed, and will be able to take on retail clients. "(The sector) fundamentally is going to stay despite all the risks... These activities have to be allowed in a regulated way," the city's financial services and treasury chief Christopher Hui told AFP. The new rules have an emphasis on investor protection measures, like … [Read more...] about Hong Kong launches retail-friendly rules for crypto exchanges

The clearance of 200-300 coal wagons per day via the La Lay border gate in the central province of Quang Tri is being deemed impractical, affecting Logistics PTS Vietnam’s future aim of importing five million metric tonnes of coal annually. “Transportation and warehouse infrastructure is scarce, and so we can only remove about 100 vehicles per day,” said PTS general director Nguyen Quang Huy. According to him, if Vietnam fails to strengthen infrastructure, improve National Highway 15D, and invest in warehouses, it will miss the chance to compete with Thailand in purchasing coal from Laos. In February, Laos’ energy ministry announced findings of coal field surveys in the provinces of Sekong and Saravane, indicating that reserves may be as high as 500 million MT. Coal still with part to play in energy mix, Source: evn.com.vn Vietnam may experience a power scarcity if the availability of coal becomes constrained. According to Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the total … [Read more...] about Coal still with part to play in energy mix

HCM City’s economic growth is expected to climb to 5.87 per cent in the second quarter of 2023, its leader has said. A view of HCM City at night. The city is expected to face economic headwinds during the rest of this year. — VNA/VNS Photo It was only 0.7 per cent in the first quarter. Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of its People’s Committee, said its economic growth in the first half is expected to be 3.55 per cent. Public spending in the first five months is expected to be worth VNĐ10.2 trillion (US$436.4 million), up 24 per cent year-on-year, he said. The global economic decline and high inflation will continue to affect the city’s economy across the board, hindering its recovery, he said. In May, the index of industrial production (IIP) rose by an estimated 1.5 per cent month-on-month and 5.5 per cent year-on-year. It was up 1.6 per cent year-on-year in the first five months. The services sector is expected to post the … [Read more...] about HCM City eyes jump in economic growth to 5.87% in Q2