Japan’s Lost Decade of the 1990s, which began with the burst of a big asset bubble, might have been avoided if banks and regulators had addressed concerning issues early on. Spurred on by a strong yen and low interest rates, Japanese consumers embarked on a spending spree in the mid-1980s that left banks holding a bag of bad debt by 1992.
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted all the economies, big or small, across the globe. Central banks everywhere have been proactively dealing with the situation and have successfully pushed a large amount of liquidity to the banks through various means. However, due to widespread uncertainty caused by the pandemic, banks are reluctant to lend, and consumers are hesitant to avail credit. This article highlights the adverse impact that surplus liquidity may have on the banks and economies if adequate demand is not created.
The Bank of Japan is adding more grit to its campaign to incentivize Japan’s financial sector to fight climate change by supporting sustainability projects and unravelling financing for fossil-fuel sectors. The strategy will involve various lending measures to encourage banks to incorporate climate-mitigation action in their funding.
It has been an unusually eventful year for central banks all over the world in 2020, and given the current circumstances, the coming year is set to be no less busy. With a variety of challenges to overcome, therefore, central banks hope to achieve several important goals before the end of 2021.
The role of the central bank in maintaining the stability of a nation’s financial system is paramount at all times, but especially during a crisis of the magnitude of COVID-19. Around the world, policymakers have intentionally shut down their economies for the greater good of public health. What specific emergency measures have the world’s top central banks taken to confront this truly unique peril to both physical and financial well-being?
It’s rare for a national leader to be able to claim that an economic system is named after him, but Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, can. Abenomics, introduced eight years ago, has been an ambitious economic agenda seeking to bring the country out of its doldrums, characterized by deflation and debt. Has Abenomics met its goals? Not entirely, but it has realized some gains and staved off disaster.