Evaluation of post-GFC policy response of New Zealand: non-banking perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore whether the present measures being taken by the New Zealand (NZ) government are strengthening its non-banking sector effectively to address the recent financial crisis and ensure better financial stability to the economy. Design/methodology/approach – The basic methodology used in this paper is the “documentary research method”. For this study, data has been collected from various published sources; e.g. The Bulletin, the Financial Stability Report and other publications of the Reserve Bank of NZ, publications by Statistics NZ and a number of NZ government Ministries, and some newspapers and magazines, etc. Findings – We find that the NZ government is revamping the non-banking sector by introducing a prudential regime. However, we also find some gaps in the existing regulatory systems that need to be addressed to ensure soundness in the total system. Research limitations/implications – The basic limitation of documentary research will be applicable to this study. Further research may be carried out to investigate the policy responses of government from banking, corporate governance and other regulatory perspectives. Practical implications – Our study identifies some gaps in current policy responses along with some suggestions for the future that may be taken into consideration by the respective policy-makers to further strengthen the support provided by policy responses to financial crises. Originality/value – Our study provides a unique insight into the evaluation of post-GFC policy response and its effectiveness with regard to non-banking sector and, to our knowledge, the first of its kind in NZ in the post-global financial crisis period.