IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/worlde/v26y2003i6p873-891.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Too Much of a Good Thing? The Adequacy of International Reserves in the Aftermath of Crises

Author

Listed:
  • Graham Bird
  • Ramkishen Rajan

Abstract

This paper has a number of purposes. First, it revisits the older theory of reserve adequacy and optimality to see whether this can still be used and perhaps strengthened in ways that would inform the current debate. Second, it explores the connection between reserve adequacy and currency crisis in the light of recent experience and empirical research. Third, it critically investigates alternative rule‐of‐thumb measures of reserve adequacy. Fourth, and drawing on the foregoing analysis, it examines the extent to which crisis countries should seek to replenish and build up their international reserves in the post‐crisis period. Additional owned reserves represent a guaranteed and unconditional source of liquidity; is this what is needed?

Suggested Citation

  • Graham Bird & Ramkishen Rajan, 2003. "Too Much of a Good Thing? The Adequacy of International Reserves in the Aftermath of Crises," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 873-891, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:26:y:2003:i:6:p:873-891
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-9701.00552
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9701.00552
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1467-9701.00552?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clark, Peter B, 1970. "Optimum International Reserves and the Speed of Adjustment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(2), pages 356-376, March-Apr.
    2. Graham Bird, 1985. "World Finance and Adjustment," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-17938-1.
    3. William J. Baumol, 1952. "The Transactions Demand for Cash: An Inventory Theoretic Approach," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 66(4), pages 545-556.
    4. Carmen M. Reinhart & Graciela L. Kaminsky, 1999. "The Twin Crises: The Causes of Banking and Balance-of-Payments Problems," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(3), pages 473-500, June.
    5. Williamson, John, 1973. "Surveys in Applied Economics: International Liquidity," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 83(331), pages 685-746, September.
    6. Hausmann, Ricardo & Panizza, Ugo & Stein, Ernesto, 2001. "Why do countries float the way they float?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 387-414, December.
    7. Guillermo A. Calvo & Carmen M. Reinhart, 2002. "Fear of Floating," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(2), pages 379-408.
    8. Jeanne, Olivier, 2000. "Foreign currency debt and the global financial architecture," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(4-6), pages 719-727, May.
    9. Ramkishen S. Rajan & Chung-Hua Shen, 2002. "Are crisis-induced devaluations contractionary?," Pacific Basin Working Paper Series 2002-06, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    10. Ramikishen Rajan, 2002. "Exchange Rate Policy Options for Post‐crisis Southeast Asia: Is There a Case for Currency Baskets?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 137-163, January.
    11. Iyoha, Milton Ame, 1976. "Demand for International Reserves in Less Developed Countries: A Distributed Lag Specification," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 58(3), pages 351-355, August.
    12. Ramkishen Rajan, 2002. "Safeguarding against Capital Account Crises: Unilateral, Regional and Multilateral Options for East Asia," Centre for International Economic Studies Working Papers 2002-01, University of Adelaide, Centre for International Economic Studies.
    13. Mr. Christian B. Mulder & Mr. Matthieu Bussière, 1999. "External Vulnerability in Emerging Market Economies: How High Liquidity Can Offset Weak Fundamentals and the Effects of Contagion," IMF Working Papers 1999/088, International Monetary Fund.
    14. International Monetary Fund, 1996. "The Economic Content of Indicators of Developing Country Creditworthiness," IMF Working Papers 1996/009, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Mr. Piti Disyatat, 2001. "Currency Crises and Foreign Reserves: A Simple Model," IMF Working Papers 2001/018, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Graham Bird & Ramkishen Rajan, 2002. "The Evolving Asian Financial Architecture," Centre for International Economic Studies Working Papers 2002-03, University of Adelaide, Centre for International Economic Studies.
    17. repec:idb:wpaper:418 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. World Bank, 2000. "Global Economic Prospects and the Developing Countries 2000," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14776.
    19. Hausmann, Ricardo & Panizza, Ugo & Stein, Ernesto, 2001. "Why do countries float the way they float?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 387-414, December.
    20. H. Robert Heller, 1968. "The Transactions Demand for International Means of Payments," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 76(1), pages 141-141.
    21. Officer, Lawrence H, 1976. "The Demand for International Liquidity: A Test of the Square-Root Law," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 8(3), pages 325-337, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Graham Bird & Ramkishen Rajan, 2002. "The Evolving Asian Financial Architecture," Centre for International Economic Studies Working Papers 2002-03, University of Adelaide, Centre for International Economic Studies.
    2. Jung Sik Kim & Jie Li & Ramkishen S. Rajan & Ozan Sula & Thomas D. Willett, 2007. "Reserve Adequacy In Asia Revisited: New Benchmarks Based On The Size And Composition Of Capital Flow," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 23, pages 131-158.
    3. Ramkishen S. Rajan, 2006. "Monetary and Financial Cooperation in Asia : Emerging Trends and Prospects," Finance Working Papers 22125, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    4. Mr. Robert P Flood & Ms. Nancy P. Marion, 2002. "Holding International Reserves in an Era of High Capital Mobility," IMF Working Papers 2002/062, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Tony Cavoli & Ramkishen Rajan, 2003. "Designing Appropriate Exchange Rate Regimes for East Asia: Inflation Targeting and Monetary Policy Rules," Centre for International Economic Studies Working Papers 2003-09, University of Adelaide, Centre for International Economic Studies.
    6. Corrinne Ho & Robert N. McCauley, 2003. "Living with flexible exchange rates: issues and recent experience in inflation targeting emerging market economies," BIS Working Papers 130, Bank for International Settlements.
    7. Livia Chitu, 2013. "Was Unofficial Dollarisation/Euroisation an Amplifier of the ‘Great Recession’ of 2007–2009 in Emerging Economies?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 55(2), pages 233-265, June.
    8. Sergio L. Schmukler, 2004. "Financial globalization: gain and pain for developing countries," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 89(Q 2), pages 39-66.
    9. Bruce N. Lehmann & David M. Modest, 1985. "The Empirical Foundations of the Arbitrage Pricing Theory I: The Empirical Tests," NBER Working Papers 1725, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Rajeswari Sengupta, 2014. "Firm dollar debt and central bank dollar reserves: Empirical evidence from Latin America," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2014-013, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    11. Aghion, Philippe & Bacchetta, Philippe & Banerjee, Abhijit, 2004. "A corporate balance-sheet approach to currency crises," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 6-30, November.
    12. Hernandez, Leonardo & Montiel, Peter J., 2003. "Post-crisis exchange rate policy in five Asian countries: Filling in the "hollow middle"?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 336-369, September.
    13. Mr. Andrea Bubula & Ms. Inci Ötker, 2002. "The Evolution of Exchange Rate Regimes Since 1990: Evidence From De Facto Policies," IMF Working Papers 2002/155, International Monetary Fund.
    14. Robert-Paul Berben & Jan Marc Berk, 2002. "Requirements for successful currency regimes: the Dutch and Thai experiences," MEB Series (discontinued) 2002-16, Netherlands Central Bank, Monetary and Economic Policy Department.
    15. Levy Yeyati, Eduardo & Sturzenegger, Federico & Reggio, Iliana, 2010. "On the endogeneity of exchange rate regimes," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(5), pages 659-677, July.
    16. corrinne ho & robert n mccauley, 2004. "Living with flexible exchange rates:," International Finance 0411003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Guillermo Ortiz, 2000. "How should monetary policymakers react to the new challenges of global economic integration: commentary," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 255-276.
    18. A. G. Malliaris, 2005. "Global monetary instability: The role of the IMF, the EU and NAFTA," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Economic Uncertainty, Instabilities And Asset Bubbles Selected Essays, chapter 20, pages 323-343, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    19. Flávio Vilela Vieira & Márcio Holland, 2004. "Exchange Rate Dynamics In Brazil," Anais do XXXII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 32nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 066, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    20. Daniela Magalhães Prates & André Moreira Cunha & Marcos T. C. Lélis, 2008. "A gestão do regime de câmbio flutuante no Brasil," Anais do XXXVI Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 36th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 200807211144430, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:26:y:2003:i:6:p:873-891. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0378-5920 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.