IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/imf/imfwpa/2019-211.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Financial Repression is Knocking at the Door, Again

Author

Listed:
  • Mr. Etibar Jafarov
  • Mr. Rodolfo Maino
  • Mr. Marco Pani

Abstract

Financial repression (legal restrictions on interest rates, credit allocation, capital movements, and other financial operations) was widely used in the past but was largely abandoned in the liberalization wave of the 1990s, as widespread support for interventionist policies gave way to a renewed conception of government as an impartial referee. Financial repression has come back on the agenda with the surge in public debt in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, and some countries have reintroduced administrative ceilings on interest rates. By distorting market incentives and signals, financial repression induces losses from inefficiency and rent-seeking that are not easily quantified. This study attempts to assess some of these losses by estimating the impact of financial repression on growth using an updated index of interest rate controls covering 90 countries over 45 years. The results suggest that financial repression poses a significant drag on growth, which could amount to 0.4-0.7 percentage points.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Etibar Jafarov & Mr. Rodolfo Maino & Mr. Marco Pani, 2019. "Financial Repression is Knocking at the Door, Again," IMF Working Papers 2019/211, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/211
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=48641
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Christopher A. Hartwell, 2017. "If You’re Going Through Hell, Keep Going: Nonlinear Effects of Financial Liberalization in Transition Economies," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 250-275, February.
    3. Bonfiglioli, Alessandra & Mendicino, Caterina, 2004. "Financial Liberalization, Banking Crises and Growth: Assessing the Links," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 567, Stockholm School of Economics.
    4. Aaron Tornell & Frank Westermann & Lorenza Martinez, 2004. "The Positive Link Between Financial Liberalization Growth and Crises," UCLA Economics Working Papers 834, UCLA Department of Economics.
    5. Donato Masciandaro & Davide Romelli, 2017. "Twin Peaks And Central Banks: Economics, Political Economy And Comparative Analysis," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 1768, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    6. Bonfiglioli, Alessandra, 2005. "How Does Financial Liberalization affect Economic Growth?," Seminar Papers 736, Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies.
    7. Safavian,Mehnaz S. & Zia,Bilal Husnain, 2018. "The impact of interest rate caps on the financial sector : evidence from commercial banks in Kenya," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8393, The World Bank.
    8. Ahmed, Abdullahi D., 2013. "Effects of financial liberalization on financial market development and economic performance of the SSA region: An empirical assessment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 261-273.
    9. Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1989. "Financial Markets and Development," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 5(4), pages 55-68, Winter.
    10. Ranciere, Romain & Tornell, Aaron & Westermann, Frank, 2006. "Decomposing the effects of financial liberalization: Crises vs. growth," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(12), pages 3331-3348, December.
    11. Oriana Bandiera & Gerard Caprio & Patrick Honohan & Fabio Schiantarelli, 2000. "Does Financial Reform Raise or Reduce Saving?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(2), pages 239-263, May.
    12. Shushu Li & Jinglan Zhang & Yong Ma, 2015. "Financial Development, Environmental Quality and Economic Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-22, July.
    13. Sophocles N. Brissimis & Eugenie N. Garganas & Stephen G. Hall, 2014. "Consumer credit in an era of financial liberalization: an overreaction to repressed demand?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 139-152, January.
    14. Kaminsky, Graciela Laura & Schmukler, Sergio L., 2002. "Short-run pain, long-run gain : the effects of financial liberalization," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2912, The World Bank.
    15. Niels Hermes & Aljar Meesters, 2015. "Financial liberalization, financial regulation and bank efficiency: a multi-country analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(21), pages 2154-2172, May.
    16. Nazmi, Nader, 2005. "Deregulation, financial deepening and economic growth: The case of Latin America," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 447-459, May.
    17. Ben Gamra, Saoussen, 2009. "Does financial liberalization matter for emerging East Asian economies growth? Some new evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 392-403, June.
    18. P. J. Dawson, 2003. "Financial development and growth in economies in transition," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(13), pages 833-836.
    19. Kapur, Basant K, 1976. "Alternative Stabilization Policies for Less-developed Economies," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 84(4), pages 777-795, August.
    20. Bekaert, Geert & Harvey, Campbell R. & Lundblad, Christian, 2005. "Does financial liberalization spur growth?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 3-55, July.
    21. Garita, Gus, 2009. "How Does Financial Openness Affect Economic Growth and its Components?," MPRA Paper 20099, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Abiad, Abdul & Oomes, Nienke & Ueda, Kenichi, 2008. "The quality effect: Does financial liberalization improve the allocation of capital?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 270-282, October.
    23. Arestis, Philip & Demetriades, Panicos O, 1997. "Financial Development and Economic Growth: Assessing the Evidence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(442), pages 783-799, May.
    24. Matthieu Bussière & Marcel Fratzscher, 2008. "Financial Openness and Growth: Short‐run Gain, Long‐run Pain?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(1), pages 69-95, February.
    25. Abdul Abiad & Enrica Detragiache & Thierry Tressel, 2010. "A New Database of Financial Reforms," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 57(2), pages 281-302, June.
    26. Douglas W. Diamond, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414.
    27. Abdul Abiad & Ashoka Mody, 2005. "Financial Reform: What Shakes It? What Shapes It?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 66-88, March.
    28. Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1989. "Markets and Development," NBER Working Papers 2961, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    29. Petra Valickova & Tomas Havranek & Roman Horvath, 2015. "Financial Development And Economic Growth: A Meta-Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 506-526, July.
    30. Eduardo Lora & Mauricio Olivera, 2004. "What Makes Reforms Likely: Political Economy Determinants of Reforms in Latin America," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 99-135, May.
    31. Lahcen ACHY, 2004. "Financial liberalization, saving, investment and growth in MENA countries," Finance 0411004, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    32. Ross Levine & Norman Loayza & Thorsten Beck, 2002. "Financial Intermediation and Growth: Causality and Causes," Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book Series, in: Leonardo Hernández & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel & Norman Loayza (Series Editor) & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel (Se (ed.),Banking, Financial Integration, and International Crises, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 2, pages 031-084, Central Bank of Chile.
    33. Berthelemy, Jean-Claude & Varoudakis, Aristomene, 1996. "Economic Growth, Convergence Clubs, and the Role of Financial Development," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 300-328, April.
    34. Carmen M. Reinhart & M. Belen Sbrancia1, 2015. "The liquidation of government debt," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 30(82), pages 291-333.
    35. Konstantinos Loizos, 2018. "The Financial Repression†Liberalization Debate: Taking Stock, Looking For A Synthesis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 440-468, April.
    36. Philip Arestis & Georgios Chortareas & Georgios Magkonis, 2015. "The Financial Development And Growth Nexus: A Meta-Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 549-565, July.
    37. Waelti, Sébastien, 2015. "Financial crisis begets financial reform? The origin of the crisis matters," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 40(PA), pages 1-15.
    38. V. V. Chari & Alessandro Dovis & Patrick J. Kehoe, 2016. "Financial Repression: Evidence and Theory," Economic Policy Paper 16-4, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    39. Ben McLean & Sona Shrestha, 2002. "International Financial Liberalisation and Economic Growth," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2002-03, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    40. Tullio Jappelli & Marco Pagano, 1994. "Saving, Growth, and Liquidity Constraints," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(1), pages 83-109.
    41. International Monetary Fund, 2018. "Belgium: 2018 Article IV Consultation - Press Release; Staff Report," IMF Staff Country Reports 2018/071, International Monetary Fund.
    42. Romain Rancière & Aaron Tornell & Frank Westermann, 2006. "Decomposing the Effects of Finncial Liberalization: Growth vs. Crises," Post-Print halshs-00754116, HAL.
    43. Barry Eichengreen & David Leblang, 2003. "Capital account liberalization and growth: was Mr. Mahathir right?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(3), pages 205-224.
    44. Inkoo Lee & Jong-Hyup Shin, 2008. "Financial Liberalization, Crises, and Economic Growth," Asian Economic Papers, MIT Press, vol. 7(1), pages 106-115, Winter.
    45. Reinhart, Carmen M. & Rogoff, Kenneth S., 2013. "Banking crises: An equal opportunity menace," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4557-4573.
    46. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas & Maurice Obstfeld, 2012. "Stories of the Twentieth Century for the Twenty-First," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 226-265, January.
    47. Alessandra Bonfiglioli & Caterina Mendicino, 2004. "Financial liberalization, bank crises and growth: Assessing the links," Economics Working Papers 946, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    48. Valerie R. Bencivenga & Bruce D. Smith, 1991. "Financial Intermediation and Endogenous Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 195-209.
    49. Fry, Maxwell J., 1980. "Saving, investment, growth and the cost of financial repression," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 317-327, April.
    50. Stephen D. Williamson, 1987. "Costly Monitoring, Loan Contracts, and Equilibrium Credit Rationing," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 102(1), pages 135-145.
    51. Emre Alper & Benedict Clements & Niko Hobdari & Rafel Moya Porcel, 2020. "Do interest rate controls work? Evidence from Kenya," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 910-926, August.
    52. Bumann, Silke & Hermes, Niels & Lensink, Robert, 2013. "Financial liberalization and economic growth: A meta-analysis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 255-281.
    53. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Lin, Chun-Wei & Zeng, Jhih-Hong, 2016. "Financial liberalization, insurance market, and the likelihood of financial crises," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 25-51.
    54. Saumitra Bhaduri & Aditi Bhattacharya, 2018. "Financial Liberalization and Allocation of Capital: Dark Side of the Moon," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 16(1), pages 163-185, December.
    55. Mertens, Karel, 2008. "Deposit rate ceilings and monetary transmission in the US," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(7), pages 1290-1302, October.
    56. van Wijnbergen, S., 1982. "Stagflationary effects of monetary stabilization policies : A quantitative analysis of South Korea," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 133-169, April.
    57. Hlaing, Su Wah & Kakinaka, Makoto, 2018. "Financial crisis and financial policy reform: Crisis origins and policy dimensions," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 224-243.
    58. N. Gregory Mankiw, 1986. "The Allocation of Credit and Financial Collapse," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(3), pages 455-470.
    59. Thomas Barnebeck Andersen & Finn Tarp, 2003. "Financial liberalization, financial development and economic growth in LDCs," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(2), pages 189-209.
    60. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Weiss, Andrew, 1981. "Credit Rationing in Markets with Imperfect Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 393-410, June.
    61. Barrell, Ray & Karim, Dilruba & Ventouri, Alexia, 2017. "Interest rate liberalization and capital adequacy in models of financial crises," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 261-272.
    62. Roubini, Nouriel & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1992. "Financial repression and economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 5-30, July.
    63. Menyah, Kojo & Nazlioglu, Saban & Wolde-Rufael, Yemane, 2014. "Financial development, trade openness and economic growth in African countries: New insights from a panel causality approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 386-394.
    64. Marco A. Espinosa-Vega & Bruce Smith, 2001. "Socially excessive bankruptcy costs and the benefits of interest rate ceilings on loans," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2001-27, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    65. Norkina, Olga A. (Норкина, Ольга А.), 2018. "Financial Repression and Populism [Финансовая Репрессия И Популизм]," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 1, pages 122-147, February.
    66. Mohammed Ziaur Rehman & Nasir Ali & Najeeb Muhammad Nasir, 2015. "Financial Development, Savings and Economic Growth: Evidence from Bahrain Using VAR," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 6(2), pages 112-123, April.
    67. Mathieson, Donald J., 1980. "Financial reform and stabilization policy in a developing economy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 359-395, September.
    68. Boot, Arnoud W. A., 2000. "Relationship Banking: What Do We Know?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 7-25, January.
    69. Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Enrica Detragiache, 1998. "The Determinants of Banking Crises in Developing and Developed Countries," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 45(1), pages 81-109, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ghosh, Saibal, 2022. "Financial inclusion and banking stability: Does interest rate repression matter?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    2. Wang, Ruohan & Xue, Yi & Zheng, Wenping, 2021. "Does high external debt predict lower economic growth? Role of sovereign spreads and institutional quality," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Powell, Andrew & Panizza, Ugo, 2023. "Debt Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13290, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Sadia Afrin & Ilias Skamnelos & Waheduzzaman Sarder, 2022. "Drivers of intermediation costs, financial repression and stability," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 46(2), pages 283-307, April.
    5. Godwin Olasehinde-Williams & Oktay Özkan, 2022. "Is interest rate uncertainty a predictor of investment volatility? evidence from the wild bootstrap likelihood ratio approach," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 46(3), pages 507-521, July.
    6. Wang, Xun, 2022. "Financial liberalization and the investment-cash flow sensitivity," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Calice,Pietro & Diaz Kalan,Federico Alfonso & Masetti,Oliver, 2020. "Interest Rate Repression : A New Database," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9457, The World Bank.
    8. Mariia A. Elkina, 2021. "Financial Repression And Transmission Of Macroeconomic Shocks In A DSGE Model With Financial Frictions," HSE Working papers WP BRP 246/EC/2021, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Niels Hermes & Robert Lensink, 2005. "Does Financial Liberalization Influence Saving, Investment and Economic Growth?: Evidence from 25 Emerging Market Economies, 1973-97," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2005-69, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Konstantinos Loizos, 2018. "The Financial Repression†Liberalization Debate: Taking Stock, Looking For A Synthesis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 440-468, April.
    3. Rachdi, Houssem & Hakimi, Abdelaziz & Hamdi, Helmi, 2018. "Liberalization, crisis and growth in MENA region: Do institutions matter?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 810-826.
    4. Boikos, Spyridon & Panagiotidis, Theodore & Voucharas, Georgios, 2022. "Financial development, reforms and growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Ali, Amjad, 2022. "Financial Liberalization, Institutional Quality and Economic Growth Nexus: Panel Analysis of African Countries," MPRA Paper 116101, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Gehringer, Agnieszka, 2013. "Financial liberalization, financial development and productivity growth: An overview," Economics Discussion Papers 2013-46, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    7. Abdullahi D. Ahmed, 2010. "Financial liberalization, financial development and growth linkages in Sub‐Saharan African countries," Studies in Economics and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(4), pages 314-339, October.
    8. Felix Eschenbach, 2004. "Finance and Growth: A Survey of the Theoretical and Empirical Literature," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-039/2, Tinbergen Institute.
    9. Paul Auerbach & Jalal Uddin Siddiki, 2004. "Financial Liberalisation and Economic Development: An Assessment," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 231-265, July.
    10. James B. Ang, 2008. "A Survey Of Recent Developments In The Literature Of Finance And Growth," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 536-576, July.
    11. Siddiki, Jalal Uddin & Auerbach, Paul, 2000. "Economic development, finance and liberalisation: a survey and some unresolved issues," Economics Discussion Papers 2000-6, School of Economics, Kingston University London.
    12. Ahmed, Abdullahi D., 2013. "Effects of financial liberalization on financial market development and economic performance of the SSA region: An empirical assessment," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 261-273.
    13. Robert M. Townsend & Kenichi Ueda, 2010. "Welfare Gains From Financial Liberalization," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 51(3), pages 553-597, August.
    14. William R. Cline, 2010. "Financial Globalization, Economic Growth, and the Crisis of 2007-09," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 499, April.
    15. Rahman, Abdul & Khan, Muhammad Arshad & Charfeddine, Lanouar, 2021. "Regime-specific impact of financial reforms on economic growth in Pakistan," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 161-182.
    16. RACHDI, Houssem & Hakimi, Abdelaziz & Hamdi, Helmi, 2015. "Financial Liberalization, Banking Crisis and Economic Growth in MENA Region: Do Institutions Matter?," MPRA Paper 64562, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Bonfiglioli, Alessandra, 2008. "Financial integration, productivity and capital accumulation," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 337-355, December.
    18. Thomas Barnebeck Andersen & Finn Tarp, 2003. "Financial liberalization, financial development and economic growth in LDCs," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(2), pages 189-209.
    19. Hamdaoui, Mekki, 2017. "Financial liberalization and systemic banking crises: A meta-analysis," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 26-54.
    20. Ang, James B. & McKibbin, Warwick J., 2007. "Financial liberalization, financial sector development and growth: Evidence from Malaysia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 215-233, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/211. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Akshay Modi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/imfffus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.