Retirement Income Systems in Middle and Eastern Europe: Between Change and Continuity
Martina Kämpfe, Ingmar Kumpmann
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 5,
2011
Abstract
During the process of transition the Middle and Eastern European Countries introduced pension insurance plans on a Pay-as-you-go-basis following the Western European pattern. Rising financing problems caused by increasing unemployment as well as the demographic change led to the awareness of the need of reform. Hence in most of these countries mandatory funded pension schemes were established. This way proved to be costly since the actual active generation has to simultaneously finance both the new capital stock and the pensions of today’s retirees. The financial crisis revealed the vulnerability of funded pension plans. On this background especially Poland and Hungary partly roll back their reforms. In the Czech Republic whose pension plans were not harmed by the financial crisis the government plans to support private pension schemes increasingly. Bearing in mind the recent experiences it is recommendable to build up funded pension schemes very carefully and slowly. A further weakening of pension plans on a Pay-as-you-go basis is not advisable.
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Die Entwicklung der Corporate Governance deutscher Banken seit 1950
R. H. Schmidt, Felix Noth
Bankhistorisches Archiv,
No. 2,
2011
Abstract
The present paper gives an overview of the development of Corporate Governance of German banks since the 1950s. The focus will be on economic analysis. The most striking changes in Corporate Governance occurred with the ownership structure of commercial banks, in particular with the major joint-stock banks. In addition to that, the capital market has become a core element of Corporate Governance in all major German banks, which have replaced their prior concentration on the interests of a broadly defined circle of stakeholders by a one-sided concentration on shareholders’ interests. In contrast, with savings banks and cooperative cooperative banks, Corporate Governance has remained unchanged for the most part. Exceptions to this are the regional state banks: in their case, after they had turned away from traditional business models and in particular following the discontinuation of the guarantee obligation, the problems of their Corporate Governance, which were already discernible beforehand, became quite obvious. If you include the financial crisis, beginning in 2007, in the analysis, it becomes evident that it was precisely a Corporate Governance unilaterally geared to shareholders’ interest and the efficiency of the capital market that materially contributed to the evolution and widening of the crisis.
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Finance and Growth in a Bank-Based Economy: Is It Quantity or Quality that Matters?
Michael Koetter, Michael Wedow
Journal of International Money and Finance,
No. 8,
2010
Abstract
Most finance–growth studies approximate the size of financial systems rather than the quality of intermediation to explain economic growth differentials. Furthermore, the neglect of systematic differences in cross-country studies could drive the result that finance matters. We suggest a measure of bank’s intermediation quality using bank-specific efficiency estimates and focus on the regions of one economy only: Germany. This quality measure has a significantly positive effect on growth. This result is robust to the exclusion of banks operating in multiple regions, controlling for the proximity of financial markets, when distinguishing different banking sectors active in Germany, and when excluding the structurally weaker East from the sample.
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Interest Rate Convergence in the Euro-Candidate Countries: Volatility Dynamics of Sovereign Bond Yields
Hubert Gabrisch, Lucjan T. Orlowski
Emerging Markets Finance and Trade,
2010
Abstract
We argue that a “static“ specification of the Maastricht criterion for long-term bond yields is not conducive to assessing stability of financial systems in euro-candidate countries. Instead, we advocate a dynamic approach to assessing interest rate convergence to a common currency that is based on the analysis of financial system stability. Accordingly, we empirically test volatility dynamics of the ten-year sovereign bond yields of the 2004 EU accession countries in relation to the eurozone yields during the January 2, 2001-January 22, 2009, sample period. Our results show a varied degree of the relationship between domestic and eurozone sovereign bond yields, the most pronounced for the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Poland, and weaker for Hungary and Slovakia. We find some divergence of relative bond yields since the EU accession.
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Cross-border Exposures and Financial Contagion
Hans Degryse, Muhammad Ather Elahi, Maria Fabiana Penas
International Review of Finance,
No. 2,
2010
Abstract
Integrated financial markets provide opportunities for expansion and improved risk sharing, but also pose threats of contagion risk through cross-border exposures. This paper examines cross-border contagion risk over the period 1999–2006. To that purpose we use aggregate cross-border exposures of 17 countries as reported in the Bank for International Settlements Consolidated Banking Statistics. We find that a shock that affects the liabilities of one country may undermine the stability of the entire financial system. Particularly, a shock wiping out 25% (35%) of US (UK) cross-border liabilities against non-US (non-UK) banks could lead to bank contagion eroding at least 94% (45%) of the recipient countries' banking assets. We also find that since 2006 a shock to Eastern Europe, Turkey and Russia affects most countries. Our simulations also reveal that the ‘speed of propagation of contagion’ has increased in recent years resulting in a higher number of directly exposed banking systems. Finally, we find that contagion is more widespread in geographical proximities.
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Taxing Banks: Do it properly or not at all
Ulrich Blum, Diemo Dietrich
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 5,
2010
Abstract
Taxing banks in favor of a mutual fund to safeguard future financial stability has been subject to an intensive public debate. The currently proposed solution, however, will not provide any protection against systemic risks. We argue that using tax revenues to reduce public debt would bring down the risk premium that government has to pay and thereby improves the capability of economic policy to stabilize the economy in future times of distress. Anything else is associated with the risk that bank capital is devastated which would hamper the economic recovery.
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Reform of IMF Lending Facilities Increases Stability in Emerging Market Economies
J. John, Tobias Knedlik
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
No. 3,
2010
Abstract
Following the current international financial and economic crisis the IMF reformed its lending facilities. Two new instruments are of particular importance: the Flexible Credit Line (FCL) and the High Access Precautionary Arrangements (HAPA). The major innovation of the new facilities is that the traditional ex-post conditionality is replaced by an ex-ante qualification process. An ex-ante qualification process leads to a short-term availability of funds during the emergence of crises and avoids long negotiation processes during a crisis. Additionally, the FCL is high powered, amounting to 900 to 1000% of the quota. It can therefore be expected that the programs have preventive effects. In difference to previous attempts to implement precautionary credit lines, the FCL and HAPA successfully created demand. First empirical observations show, that a stigmatization, which could have been expected from experience, did not take place. Countries who qualified for the FCL did rather well during the current crisis and did not face shrinking confidence due to expected crises. To be more efficient, the new lending facilities should be complemented be an international regulatory framework, which limits moral-hazard-induced higher risk taking. Additionally more members should be encouraged to demand the new instruments to increase its systemic importance.
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Finanzierung kommunaler Aufgaben: Ökonomische Prinzipien, moderne Herausforderungen und institutionelle Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Position Liberal, Bd. 88,
2009
Abstract
The publication is based on the economic principles for an efficient local public revenue system. The main part of the publication is examining the question how different categories of revenues (taxes, user fees, grants-in-aid) and different arrangements of these revenues are able to meet with these principles. In addition, it is asked for the implications of recent developments (demographic change; increasing importance of the competitiveness of cities) for the choice between different categories of revenues. Finally, it is discussed how it could be possible in countries like Germany – where the existing local public revenue system is quite far away from what is regarded as efficient – to come to an institutional change in the direction of a better way of financing the local level.
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