It is now ten years since the former Soviet Union collapses and the countries of Europe and Central Asia abandoned central planning. Enough experience has accumulated to allow a more reflective study of the transition period. One of the most critical elements of the transition to a market-based economy has been the establishment of the institutions and markets that constitute a financial system. This book examines financial transition through the lens of flow of funds accounts. These accounts have been used in the OECD countries for many years as an aid in analyzing money flows around their financial systems. This is the first time, however, that an attempt has been made to interpret financial transition from this perspective and it has yielded what the authors consider to be new, useful insights into the processes.The book reviews the evolution of financial systems in eight transition countries: Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Romania. Each chapter draws upon a flow of funds analysis to illuminate the relationship between macroeconomic performance and the evolving pattern of financial flows through the emerging markets and institutions. The introductory chapter discusses the nature of the flow of funds approach and its applicability to transition economies, while another chapter compares and contrasts the macroeconomic and financial performances of the eight countries by focusing on the orientation of sectoral imbalances within each economy and the nature of financing flows associated with them.

This book contains 21 papers focusing on a wide range of issues concerning financial sector transition in the countries of Europe and Central Asia (ECA). It places the transition economies in the context of recent and prospective developments in global financial markets. This book also evaluates the experience of the last 10 years and reviews the progress from a command financial system to a market-based one, identifying some of the key characteristics of the financial transition.

It is now ten years since the former Soviet Union collapses and the countries of Europe and Central Asia abandoned central planning. Enough experience has accumulated to allow a more reflective study of the transition period. One of the most critical elements of the transition to a market-based economy has been the establishment of the institutions and markets that constitute a financial system. This book examines financial transition through the lens of flow of funds accounts. These accounts have been used in the OECD countries for many years as an aid in analyzing money flows around their financial systems. This is the first time, however, that an attempt has been made to interpret financial transition from this perspective and it has yielded what the authors consider to be new, useful insights into the processes.The book reviews the evolution of financial systems in eight transition countries: Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Romania. Each chapter draws upon a flow of funds analysis to illuminate the relationship between macroeconomic performance and the evolving pattern of financial flows through the emerging markets and institutions. The introductory chapter discusses the nature of the flow of funds approach and its applicability to transition economies, while another chapter compares and contrasts the macroeconomic and financial performances of the eight countries by focusing on the orientation of sectoral imbalances within each economy and the nature of financing flows associated with them.

Essays on the design of financial systems for countries in transition to a market-based economy.

This book contains 3 major sections: 1: Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies in Poland and the ex-CSFR; 2: The Banking Sector and Enterprise Restructuring, including Privatisation and Hardening of Budget Constraints and the Micro Level; and 3: Bank Regulatory and Supervisory Issues.

Combining rigorous analytical discussion with solid statistical examination, Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan undertakes a full macroeconomic review of the post-Soviet economies through to 2009, including a critical evaluation of the current crisis and the future outlook.

This interdisciplinary study offers a comprehensive analysis of the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Providing full historical context and drawing on a wide range of literature, this book explores the continuous economic and social transformation of the post-socialist world. While the future is yet to be determined, understanding the present phase of transformation is critical. The book’s core exploration evolves along three pivots of competitive economic structure, institutional change, and social welfare. The main elements include analysis of the emergence of the socialist economic model; its adaptations through the twentieth century; discussion of the 1990s market transition reforms; post-2008 crisis development; and the social and economic diversity in the region today. With an appreciation for country specifics, the book also considers the urgent problems of social policy, poverty, income inequality, and labor migration. Transition Economies will aid students, researchers and policy makers working on the problems of comparative economics, economic development, economic history, economic systems transition, international political economy, as well as specialists in post-Soviet and Central and Eastern European regional studies.