The Colloquium at Wiesbaden was the seventh in a series organized by the Societe Universitaire Europeenne de Recherches Financieres (SUERF) at intervals since 1969. The titles, places and dates of previous Colloquia are noted on page ii, with brief particulars of the ensuing publications. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on money and finance in a European setting, and the most recent Colloquium, held in Wiesbaden for the three days beginning on September 29, 1977, followed this well-established pattern. The subject, "New Approaches in Monetary Policy", was divided into four aspects, each discussed in separate commissions, as described in the General Report (since the languages used by SUERF are English and French, it appears in the original French on page 327, and in an English translation, on page 355. Three other chapters and the Preface are in French. ) The separate commissions, each with its own chairman and rapporteur, were addressed by the authors of the specially written papers, all experts, active in their fields, and they also led the discussions. M. Raymond Bertrand, the President ofSUERF, was Chairman for the Colloquium as a whole, which was in plenary session for the opening and closing meetings. The Rapporteur General was Professor Paul Coulbois, whose report is mentioned above. Attendance at the Colloquium has risen over the years, and so has the number of papers presented.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has enhanced its macroeconomic modeling through the Forecasting and Policy Analysis System (FPAS), transitioning from a multi-equation econometric model to a modernized system centered on the Quarterly Projection Model (QPM). In its new version, the Policy Analysis Model for the Philippines (PAMPh2.0) integrates forward-looking projections, endogenous monetary policy, fiscal and macroprudential considerations, labor dynamics, and addresses complex shocks and policy trade-offs, facilitating effective policy mix determination and supporting real-time policy evaluation. The BSP’s modernization efforts also include refining forecast calendars and strengthening communication channels to accommodate the operationalization of PAMPh2.0. Detailed validation methods ensure empirical consistency. Finally, future refinements will align the model with evolving empirical findings and theoretical insights, ensuring its continued relevance.

At the height of the Great Depression a number of leading U.S. economists advanced a proposal for monetary reform that became known as the Chicago Plan. It envisaged the separation of the monetary and credit functions of the banking system, by requiring 100% reserve backing for deposits. Irving Fisher (1936) claimed the following advantages for this plan: (1) Much better control of a major source of business cycle fluctuations, sudden increases and contractions of bank credit and of the supply of bank-created money. (2) Complete elimination of bank runs. (3) Dramatic reduction of the (net) public debt. (4) Dramatic reduction of private debt, as money creation no longer requires simultaneous debt creation. We study these claims by embedding a comprehensive and carefully calibrated model of the banking system in a DSGE model of the U.S. economy. We find support for all four of Fisher's claims. Furthermore, output gains approach 10 percent, and steady state inflation can drop to zero without posing problems for the conduct of monetary policy.