Capital Account

"The essays contained in this book have been selected from the Global investment review (GIR) of Marathon Asset Management Ltd ..."--Page xix Includes bibliographical references and index. Introduction -- Ch. 1. Capital thoughts -- Ch. 2. The rise of shareholder value -- Ch. 3. The two-tier market -- Ch. 4. Blind capital -- Ch. 5. Fibre-optical illusions -- Ch. 6. The croupier's take -- Ch. 7. Making up the numbers -- Ch. 8. Mismanagement -- Appendix: Valuing the dream -- Glossary -- Index.

Most countries emerged from the Second World War with capital accounts that were closed to the rest of the world. Since then, a process of capital account opening has occurred, with the result that all developed and many emerging-market countries now have capital accounts that are both de facto and de jure open, while many developing countries also have de facto openness. This study examines this in part by considering some of the first lessons from the current global financial crisis. This crisis may change the terms of the debate on capital account liberalization in a deeper and more lasting way than any of the crises of the past two decades because it may mark a reversal in the secular trend of financial liberalization at the core of the international financial system. The current crisis also raises new questions about the appropriate policy responses to boom-bust dynamics in domestic credit and in international credit flows. Intellectual consistency is needed between the domestic and international dimensions of financial regulation and the policies aimed at dealing with boom-bust dynamics in domestic and international credit.

Capital account liberalization - orderly, properly sequence, and befitting the individual circumstances of countries- is an inevitable step for all countries wishing to realize the benefits of the globalized economy. This paper reviews the theories behind capital account liberalization and examines the dangers associated with free capital flows. The authors conclude that the dangers can be limited through a combination of sound macroeconomic and prudential policies.

The paper summarizes the main issues arising from experiences of industrial and developing countries with capital account liberalization and it examines the IMF's treatment of capital controls in its surveillance, use of IMF resources, and technical assistance activities. Case studies of recent experiences with capital controls in Chile, Colombia, Malaysia, and Venezuela are presented.

This book details the benefits and risks of capital account liberalization and explains how to take an open-door policy, at the appropriate time, in order to reduce the risk to the lowest possible level.

Along with the development of economic globalization, many countries have begun to relax their controls on their capital accounts. However, the recent financial crises in Latin American countries as well as the exchange rate crises in Southeast Asian countries have shown that there is major risk associated with capital account liberalization.This b

This paper examines issues in sequencing and pacing capital account liberalization and draws lessons from experience in four countries (Chile, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand). The paper focuses on the interrelationship between capital account liberalization, domestic financial sector reforms, and the design of monetary and exchange rate policy. It concludes that capital account liberalization should be approached as an integrated part of comprehensive reform strategies and should be paced with the implementation of appropriate macroeconomic and exchange rate policies.

Drawing on evidence from a sample of emerging market economies over the period 1990-2004, this evaluation report reviews the IMF’s approach to capital account liberalization and related issues. The evaluation seeks to contribute to transparency by documenting what in practice has been the IMF's approach to these issues and to identify areas where the IMF’s instruments and operating methods might be improved, in order to deal with these issues more effectively.