Governance And Policy Transformations In Central Banking

In central banking, the need for effective governance and policy transformations has never been more pressing. Central banks serve as the bedrock of a nation's financial stability, and yet, they face an array of complex challenges in the modern era. The delicate balance between autonomy from government influence and the necessity of adapting to external economic forces has become increasingly elusive. As the world grapples with the aftermath of a global pandemic and persistent economic turbulence, the demand for innovative strategies to safeguard economic and financial stability has reached a crescendo. Central bankers, economists, and policy experts are left grappling with the daunting task of navigating these treacherous waters, in dire need of a compass to guide them toward a resilient future. Governance and Policy Transformations in Central Banking is a groundbreaking book that transcends traditional boundaries to offer a comprehensive solution to the complex challenges faced by central banks worldwide. This book not only diagnoses problems, it also presents a meticulously curated collection of new empirical and theoretical chapters that illuminate the path forward. It is an invaluable resource that empowers central banks with the knowledge and tools necessary for development, governance, and policy transformation.

An original analysis of central banking as global governance, developing the social relations of money, credit, and debt.

This report by the Central Bank Governance Group presents information intended to help decision-makers set up governance arrangements that are most suitable for their own circumstances. The report draws on a large body of information on the design and operation of central banks that the BIS has brought together since it initiated work on central bank governance in the early 1990s. The need to deal with chronic inflation in the 1970s and 1980s prompted the identification of price stability as a formal central bank objective and led to a significant reworking of governance arrangements. The current global financial crisis could have equally important implications for central banks, particularly with respect to their role in fostering financial stability. Although it is too early to know how central banking will change as a result, the report takes an important first step in identifying governance questions that the crisis poses.

CONTENTS: Central Banking Governance -- Insights; Central Bank Independence & Governance: Definitions & Modelling; Central Bank Independence & Policy Results: Theory & Evidence; Communicating a Policy Path: The Next Frontier in Central Bank Transparency?; Governance Structures & Decision -- Making Roles in Inflation Targeting Central Banks; Central Bank Governance: Maintaining Arm's Length from those in Power; Risk Based Supervision: Legal & Supervisory Implications; Central Bank Financial Strength, Transparency, & Policy Credibility; Payment System Governance; Transparency & Communication Policy in Japan; Rising New Governance Regime in Monetary Policy: A Review of ECB & Fed.

Central banks have emerged as the key players in national and international policy making. This book explores their evolution since World War II in 20 industrial countries. The study considers the mix of economic, political and institutional forces that have affected central bank behaviour and its relationship with government. The analysis reconciles vastly different views about the role of central banks in the making of economic policies. One finding is that monetary policy is an evolutionary process.

Fintech presents unique opportunities for central banks. The rapid changes in technology that are transforming the financial system will allow central banks to enhance the execution of various of their core functions, such as currency issuance and payment systems. But some aspects of fintech pose major challenges. Central banks have always been at the cutting edge of financial technology and innovation. In the past, the invention of the banknote, the processing of payments through debits and credits in book-entry accounts, and the successive transitions of interbank payment systems from the telegraph to internet protocols were all transformative innovations. Today, central banks are facing new and unprecedented challenges: distributed ledger technology, new data analytics (artificial intelligence [AI] and machine learning), and cloud computing, along with a wider spread of mobile access and increased internet speed and bandwidth. The purpose of this note is to discuss the authors’ preliminary views on how, from a legal perspective, central banks can best deal with the impact of fintech on their governance. These preliminary views are based on a review of central banks’ reaction thus far to the challenges posed by fintech to the legal foundations of their governance.

This paper argues that nonfinancial risk management is an essential element of good governance of central banks. It provides a funnelled analysis, on the basis of selected literature, by (i) presenting an outline of central bank governance in general; (ii) zooming in on internal governance and organization issues of central banks; (iii) highlighting the main issues with nonfinancial risk management; and (iv) ending with recommendations for future work. It shows how attention for nonfinancial risk management has been growing, and how this has amplified the call for better governance of central banks. It stresses that in the area of nonfinancial risk management there are no crucial differences between commercial and central banks: both have people, processes, procedures, and structures. It highlights policy areas to be explored.