The subprime loan crisis brought various issues to the attention of financial
policymakers, and caused a re-think about the measures introduced to address it. Some
analysts have argued that among the factors contributing to the build-up of excess
exposures was a narrow focus on inflation by major central banks, with too little attention
paid to asset price developments. Others contend that problems were more the result
of weak management of risks on the part of financial institutions with inadequate
supervision, rather than a result of excess liquidity per se. Financial innovation has also
received considerable attention, as new securitised instruments featured prominently in
the problems, raising questions regarding the role of credit rating agencies.
On many of these points, the jury is still out and final conclusions have yet to be drawn.
But some other aspects of the evolving financial landscape are more straightforward,
though perhaps still somewhat controversial. It is clear, for example, that as the global
economy has become more interconnected and integrated the size and volatility of capital
flows has increased significantly. In Asian countries, during the current global crisis, capital
inflows have increased, leading to excess liquidity and the risk of potential asset bubbles. A
sudden reversal of these inflows would have negative effects on the economies in question.
Given the impact of global capital movements on domestic financial systems and thereby
on domestic economies, in several Asian countries certain macro-prudential regulations
have been put in place, and capital controls and micro-prudential regulations have reemerged
as important tools to handle the issues related to capital inflows from outside of
the region.
In as much as capital flows are an integral component of international finance,
which allows for savings to be channelled from surplus countries to deficit countries, it is
important to ensure that global imbalances do not become a source of instability. For Asia,
the issue – which was thoroughly discussed after the Asian crisis a decade ago – is once
again emerging as a hot topic. The issue is “using Asian savings for Asian investments”
through the development of bond markets and SME’s financial inclusion. Against the
backdrop of huge potential demands for infrastructure investment in the Asian region,
this note will propose the issuance of “infrastructure revenue bonds” to help develop
bond markets in Asia. Then, to facilitate financial inclusion of SMEs, which outnumber
other types of business in Asia, this note will also propose creating an SME database and
developing regional trust funds.
In the subsequent sections, this article will touch on the following issues:
II. Characteristics of Asian economies; III. Global imbalances and capital inflows to Asia;
IV. Proposals for Asian financial markets; and V. Remaining Challenges.