The objectives and functions of payments systems in centrally planned economies are described and analyzed. These are compared to those of payments systems in market economies and to the characteristics of an ideal payments system. The dominant role of the state in the centrally planned economies meant that the state underwrote virtually all payments risk. With the withdrawal of the state, however, participants became exposed to credit, liquidity, and operational risks. In the transition, the central bank has a key role to play in payments systems. Areas where rapid improvements are possible are: accounting, clearing, settlement, netting and standardization.

World Bank Technical Paper No. 260. An efficient payment system is a necessary precondition for business development. This study outlines the basic operating principles of a payment system and reviews its benefits, costs, risks, and problems. It examines in detail the systems currently in place in the developed economies of Europe and the United States and draws from the analyses to support recommendations for restructuring those systems in developing countries. The study reviews the various types of payment practices that exist in mature systems including cash, check, GIRO, debit and credit card, direct debit, and large-value wire transfers. A range of short- and long-term improvements in payment systems are recommended for developing countries. There is a special focus on the Russian payment system and the problems it faces in transition from a centrally planned to an market economy.

Payment system is an integral part of the entire banking system in every country. Payment systems in centrally-planned economies differ greatly from market-driven economies. Almost all market-driven economies depend heavily on latest technology for efficient functioning of payment systems. The same technology is also a source of risks, which are found only in technology oriented payment systems, such as systemic risk. The discussion on LVPS assumes important dimensions due to its direct implications on financial market. The efficient functioning of payment system is necessary for the efficient functioning of the financial sector. Strong and sound payment system is required not only for long term stability of financial system but also for trouble free day-to-day working of settlements. The transaction on the financial market, generate risks for counterparties who undertake them, for the bankers, for the other intermediaries and for the central bank. The risks are greater in the case of LVPS. The disturbances in these settlements can have wider repercussions for the financial system and the economy as a whole. Due to application of technology the time taken for settling the transactions has been drastically reduced increasing to large volumes exposures. The structure of payment system determines the type of risk, who bears the risks and the vulnerability of the system.

Emphasizes the importance of designing a well-functioning intergovernmental fiscal system for achieving the reform objectives of economies in transition. This study explores the issues involved in redesigning intergovernmental relations in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, where extensive political and fiscal decentralization is now underway. The volume focuses on the elements of decentralization in the transitional economies that distinguish them from those in the rest of the world. The book shows that in the transition from a command to a market economy, designing a well-functioning intergovernmental fiscal system is a prerequisite for achieving other reform objectives: macroeconomic stability, private sector development, and a social safety net for those hurt by the transition. The study further demonstrates that a broader analytical framework than is conventionally involved in the study of intergovernmental finance is needed for analyzing fiscal issues in these economies.

Provides an in-depth overview of the Federal Reserve System, including information about monetary policy and the economy, the Federal Reserve in the international sphere, supervision and regulation, consumer and community affairs and services offered by Reserve Banks. Contains several appendixes, including a brief explanation of Federal Reserve regulations, a glossary of terms, and a list of additional publications.

This publication serves as a roadmap for exploring and managing climate risk in the U.S. financial system. It is the first major climate publication by a U.S. financial regulator. The central message is that U.S. financial regulators must recognize that climate change poses serious emerging risks to the U.S. financial system, and they should move urgently and decisively to measure, understand, and address these risks. Achieving this goal calls for strengthening regulators’ capabilities, expertise, and data and tools to better monitor, analyze, and quantify climate risks. It calls for working closely with the private sector to ensure that financial institutions and market participants do the same. And it calls for policy and regulatory choices that are flexible, open-ended, and adaptable to new information about climate change and its risks, based on close and iterative dialogue with the private sector. At the same time, the financial community should not simply be reactive—it should provide solutions. Regulators should recognize that the financial system can itself be a catalyst for investments that accelerate economic resilience and the transition to a net-zero emissions economy. Financial innovations, in the form of new financial products, services, and technologies, can help the U.S. economy better manage climate risk and help channel more capital into technologies essential for the transition. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5247742