Financial Crisis and Global Imbalances examines—from a standpoint of promoting stability and growth in developing countries—key policy lessons to be drawn from the devastating global economic crisis of 2008–09. The crisis has exposed deep faultlines in the world economy which increase its susceptibility to instability and crises. A major overhaul of the international financial system is needed in order to reduce the likelihood of virulent crises and manage them better if they do occur. This calls for, among others, fundamental reforms to establish multilateral discipline over monetary and financial policies in systemically important countries, to bring systematically important financial institutions and cross-border capital flows under control, and to involve the private sector in crisis revolution.
Reducing the likelihood of future turmoil also requires that the gap in demand between surplus and deficit countries be bridged, and the skewed income distribution between capital and labour rebalanced.
In this collection of papers on the 2008–09 Great Recession and its implications, leading economist Yilmaz Aküz underlines the need for economic restructuring along the above lines with a view to more effective crisis prevention and intervention. Given their vulnerability to shocks and limited capacity to respond, he says, this reform process is an endeavour in which developing economies have a crucial interest.
Introduction
1 Policy Response to the Global Financial Crisis: Key Issues for Developing Countries
Introduction Policy Response in DEEs: Payments Constraint and International Support Reform of the International Financial Architecture Summary of Policy Conclusions and Proposals
2 Global Economic Prospects: The Recession May Be Over But Where Next?
Issues at stake Bubbles, expansion and imbalances Crisis, recession and recovery No return to “business as usual” - need for US adjustment China too needs to adjust, but it cannot be a global locomotive Bringing in the bystanders: Germany and Japan Exchange rate adjustments Removing the deflationary bias in the international financial architecture Conclusions
3 Export Dependence, Sustainability of Growth and Adjustment in China
Introduction Measurement of contribution of exports to economic growth Import Content of Exports To what extent is growth in China export-led?
4 The Subprime Boom-Bust Cycle and Capital Flows to Developing Countries
Introduction Previous post-war boom-bust cycles Capital flows in the 2000s The changing nature of capital flows Changing vulnerabilities to boom-bust cycles The impact of recent capital flows on DEEs What is next? Managing capital inflows Conclusions
5 Why the IMF and the International Monetary System Need More Than Cosmetic Reform
Introduction The IMF’s failures in financial analysis and early warning IMF surveillance and members’ obligations The international reserves system Crisis intervention and lending Conclusions
References