This paper analyzes credibility in the Colombian exchange rate target zone. A model of imperfect credibility, in the spirit of Bertola and Svensson (1993) is derived, and is used to explain why the exchange rate in Colombia has remained for prolonged periods near the borders of the zone. The...

Este documento analiza la importancia de la integración financiera en Centro América, enfatizando los efectos de la actual crisis internacional sobre los sistemas financieros de la subregión. Después de presentar evidencia sobre la integración financiera en Centro América y la compara con...

Financial dollarization in Latin America has been growing over time in spite of a major reduction in inflation and a shift toward central bank independence. After discussing the key stylized facts of dollarization and dedollarization in the region, we discuss the risks this process poses to the...

In this paper, It has been addressed this question using firm-level panel data from 12 developing countries. It was also developed a summary index of the efficiency of investment allocation that measures whether, and to what extent, investment funds are going to firms with a higher marginal...

This paper reviews empirical evidence on the impact of creditor rights regulations on credit market breadth and the credit cycle. It confirms results that were questioned regarding the impact of creditor rights regulations on the size of credit markets, and shows that the degree to which...

This paper develops a model showing that inefficient legal protections disproportionately increase financial restrictions for creditors that have less wealth. Due to fixed monitoring costs in equilibrium, banks will not monitor small firms, and therefore these firms will adopt risky technologies...

We explore the effectiveness of capital controls in Colombia. We analyze the impact of administrative restrictions to capital flows on aggregate capital flows, the composition of capital flows, the real exchange rate, and economic activity using restricted versions of vector error correction...

People and their jobs: What could be more basic to a person's well being? Where people work determines how they live, how their families live, and how economies perform. The quantity and quality of jobs available has implications for individuals and countries alike. That is why the problems with...

Competing in the world economy does not automatically boost a nation's productivity and restructure its economy. Such progress requires mobilizing capital, employment, technology and knowledge. Opportunities beyond the business realm must be fully exploited to the benfit of society as a whole....