<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In recent years we have witnessed a growing trend in cashless transactions as well as products and services sold exclusively in this way. Also, after the onset of the global financial crisis, private crypto currencies appeared that have raised some concerns. All of these changes beg the question of whether modern societies are moving towards a cashless society. This also raises a number of other dilemmas such as whether cashless societies have negative implications, whether they have what should be the response of economic policymakers, who would be potential winners and losers, and the like.The paper analyses the arguments both in favour and against cashless society, the future of crypto currencies, as well as potential responses of economic policymakers to the emergence of a cashless society. The paper concludes with the observation that it is not reasonable to expect the transition to a cashless society in the near future but the next step in the evolution of money might be the appearance of central bank digital currencies, at least in some countries.</abstract>

Cashless Society – The Future of Money or a Utopia?

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Since the last global financial crisis supervisory mechanisms and regulations have become more stringent which have significantly improved resilience of banks therefore positively affecting financial stability. Apart from traditional financial institutions which have been supervised according to strict regulations and standards technological development in financial services commonly called FinTech have introduced new trends providing fast peer to peer lending which directly matches lenders and borrowers thus putting more pressure to policymakers and supervisors.This paper presents potential implications of FinTech developments to financial stability, while explaining FinTech influence to market structure as well as benefits and risks of technologically driven financial innovations to financial stability.The paper stresses out an importance of international cooperation of regulators in order to preserve financial stability in the recent world of technological changes and innovations. FinTech has changed consumers’ expectations and preferences while increasing the number of users expecting fast and easily accessible services available on mobile phones and other electronic devices. The paper shows that new technology provides the space for expanding financial services but it also poses additional risks to financial system in terms of microfinancial and macrofinancial risks.</abstract>

Fintech and Financial Stability Potential Influence of FinTech on Financial Stability, Risks and Benefits

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The paper compares the before and after merger position of long term profitability with respect to selected Indian banks for a period of 2003-04 to 2013-2014. The financial performance is evaluated on the basis of various variables. The study found a negative impact of merger on return on equity, return on assets, Net profit ratio, yield on advance and yield on investment. However, variables, namely, the Earnings per Share, Profit per employee and Business per employee have shown positive trend and grown after the merger. It has been observed that after the merger, the Assets, Equity, Investment and advances of all banks increases, but due to underutilization, their respective yield decreases. On a contrary, the business per employee and profit per employee have increased due to optimum utilization of human resources. By applying the Comparative Analysis, the paper also assesses the financial performance of acquiring bank with the banking industry. The Bank of Baroda and Oriental bank of commerce has found decreases in Yield on Advances and yield on investment as compared to average of all banks in the postmerger period. State bank of India &amp; IDBI Bank has higher business per employee and profit per employee as compared to industry average.</abstract>

Pre &amp; Post-Merger Financial Performance: An Indian Perspective

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>This paper aims to survey the existing literature, both theoretical and empirical, on the relationship between monetary policy and economic growth. While there has been a wide range of studies on the existing relationship between monetary policy and economic growth, the nexus between the two remains inconclusive. This paper takes a comprehensive view of the theoretical evolution of the relationship and the respective recent empirical findings. Overall, this paper shows that the majority of findings support the relevancy of monetary policy in supporting economic growth, mainly in financially developed economies with fairly independent central banks. The relationship tends to be weaker in developing economies with structural weaknesses and underdeveloped financial markets that are weakly integrated into global markets. This paper concludes that monetary policy matters for growth both in the short-run and long-run despite the prevailing ambiguous relationship. The paper recommends intensive financial development measure for developing countries as well as structural reforms to address to supply side deficiencies.</abstract>

Monetary Policy and Economic Growth: A Review of International Literature

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>This paper analyses the effects of two alternative monetary strategies (exchange rate targeting and inflation targeting) on economic growth and employment. On the panel of 18 countries for the period from 1996 to 2013, I tested the hypothesis that countries in exchange rate targeting have a higher rate of GDP growth and lower inflation rate. In order to test the impact of exchange rate policy on economic growth and prices, I applied dynamic panel two stepwise method of least squares (2SLS method) and they were evaluated by two independent regression equation. In order to allow the comparison of results related to exchange rate targeting, the effects of the introduction of inflation targeting in the unemployment rate were also estimated using the panel method two stepwise least squares (2SLS method). Results of empirical studies show that countries with inflation targeting have a lower rate of economic growth and higher unemployment.</abstract>

Exchange Rate Targeting Versus Inflation Targeting: Empirical Analysis of the Impact on Employment and Economic Growth

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In the period before the crisis, Montenegro experienced a rapid credit growth, which coincided with the privatization of several banks and was followed by the entry of foreign banking groups, amplifying the banks’ lending process and increasing competition in this sector. This paper focuses on identification and estimation of determinants of credit growth in Montenegro, exploring both demand and supply side factors, and particularly paying attention to supply factors. Our findings confirm that positive economic developments and an increase in banks’ deposit potential lead to higher credit growth. Furthermore, our findings emphasize that the banking system soundness is decisive for promoting further bank’s lending activities. We provide evidence that the weakening of banks’ balance sheets, in terms of high non-performing loans and low solvency ratio, has a negative effect on credit supply.In addition, this paper provides a nuanced analysis of the determinants of credit growth by allowing these to be different before and after the global financial crisis. The post-crisis model finds that credit supply indicators gained in importance in explaining credit growth, while the model in pre-crisis period provides evidence that both demand and supply indicators matter in explaining credit growth.</abstract>

Determinants of Credit Growth: The Case of Montenegro

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This paper describes the process of constructing a dataset of available online press releases related to monetary policy decisions published by central banks that have been pursuing a form of inflation targeting. A total of 3,807 documents were considered, as the review encompasses 24 central banks over the past 30 years. To prepare the dataset for text-mining analysis, a cleaning procedure has been performed, which is also presented in detail. The next step was to look at the readability of the documents in order to detect any patterns in its changes. We find that while there is a significant variation between central banks, there is no clear time trend in the readability of the monetary policy press releases, i.e. some central banks tend to have easier-to-read press releases than others, and this does not change with time. In turn, there is a weak indication that following the Global Financial Crisis outbreak and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis apogee, as well as at the time of withdrawing unconventional measures introduced in response to those two emergencies, press releases of advanced economy inflation targeters got temporarily harder-to-read. Overall, this paper can be viewed as a first attempt towards assessing qualitatively central banks’ transparency, with respect to a flagship communication tool of inflation targeters, namely their monetary policy press releases.
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Monetary Policy Press Releases of 24 Inflation Targeting Central Banks – A Comparison of their Key Features and Complexity

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<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The global financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic were marked by expansionary policies of key central banks in an attempt to stop the recession. The degree of expansiveness of monetary policy was unprecedented. As a result of expansionary policies, global inflation has been present since 2021. The change in the macroeconomic environment has led to a turnaround in monetary policy pursuits and a rapid rise in reference interest rates. The FED reacted much faster than the ECB and that is why inflation was lower in the USA compared to the euro area. All announcements for 2023 point to the continuation of contractionary policies.
The subject of the paper’s analysis is the monetary policy of key central banks, as well as expectations for the next period. The paper raises the question of whether central banks have gone from one extreme of overly expansionary monetary policy to the other extreme of overly contractionary monetary policy and whether such policies carry the risk of reoccurrence of recession. The paper also contains recommendations for improving existing monetary policy regimes, as well as for creating a completely new monetary policy regime which will be based on two nominal anchors.
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Monetary Policy Between Stability and Growth

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This paper analyzes the impact on income inequality of a set of variables usually considered in the growth literature as potential growth determinants. There is evidence to suggest that unemployment and inflation are positively associated with income inequality; except for countries with central bank independence where a negative association exists between inflation and income inequality. The empirical evidence shows that income inequality increases when unemployment increases.
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A Refinement of the Relationship Between Central Bank Independence, Inflation, and Income Inequality in Developing Countries

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The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has announced it will refrain from profit distribution in 2022 owing to the accumulation of a huge financial loss. In this paper we examine key determinants of the SNB’s loss and shed light on its implications to monetary policy pursuit. In particular, we show that different accounting principles yield different results concerning the equity position of a central bank’s balance sheet, yet not affecting the ability to run monetary policy.
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Swiss National Bank: Is the Recent Loss a Threat to Monetary Policy? A Research Note<xref ref-type="fn" rid="j_jcbtb-2024-0003_fn_001">1</xref>

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<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This study aims to examine the effects of monetary policies implemented by developed countries and central bank independence of developing countries on the financial fragility of developing countries. According to the findings, it was seen that the contractionary monetary policies implemented by the central banks of developed countries increase the financial fragility for both groups of countries, as do the change of central bank governors. However, the change in governors strengthens positive effects of contractionary monetary policies on the financial fragility.
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Financial Fragility in Developing Countries: An Analysis in the Context of Monetary Policy and Central Bank Independence<xref ref-type="fn" rid="j_jcbtb-2024-0005_fn_001">1</xref>

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<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The banking sector assumes a pivotal role in the economic development of nations. The assessment of financial indicators pertaining to banks holds fundamental importance in the evaluation of bank stability and sustainability. This research employs the MEREC (Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) and MARCOS (Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution) methodologies to delve deeper into the financial landscape of the banking sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Specifically, the objective is to rank banks according to their financial indicators, utilizing financial data from the year 2022. The MEREC method is applied to gauge the significance of financial indicators and ascertain their respective weights, while the MARCOS method is employed to rank banks within BiH based on their financial indicators. The examination of financial indicators within the BiH banking sector, facilitated by the MEREC and MARCOS methodologies, yields a more comprehensive understanding of the sector’s present condition. Limitations of this research, which primarily stem from its reliance on available financial data and predefined methodologies, lies within limited consideration for external factors. To provide a broader contextual perspective, the inclusion of additional financial indicators and comparative analyses with banking sectors of other nations would be imperative. The findings of this research reveal that Raiffeisen Bank exhibits the most favourable financial indicators and demonstrates the highest level of efficiency within this context. Consequently, this research offers insights into identifying exemplary banks that can serve as models for enhancing the performance of others.
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Assessing the Banking Sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina: An Analysis of Financial Indicators through the MEREC and MARCOS Methods

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> This paper aims to analyse macroeconomic and institutional empirical determinants of growth of NPL ratios. Research is focused on selected CEEC and SEE countries in the period 2006- 2013. For our analysis we use static panel model approach with the logarithm of share of NPLs to total loans as a dependent variable. As independent variables we used a combination of country-specific macroeconomic and financial indicators which are commonly used in reference literature, as well as relevant institutional variables. Our results show that there is a negative relationship between increases in GDP and rise of the NPL ratio. Along with GDP, foreign currency loans ratio and level of exchange rate are positively related with the increase of NPL ratio. This confirms the expectation that countries where domestic currency is not the main medium of credit placements will have larger problems with the level of NPLs, which is even more pronounced in periods of domestic currency depreciation. In the presented models, the inflation rate is reported as statistically insignificant for sample countries. In the group of institutional variables, only financial market level of development is reported as statistically significant in relation to the level of NPL - with a more developed financial market the level of NPLs should be lower.</abstract>

Macroeconomic and Institutional Determinants of Non-performing Loans

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>This paper aims to evaluate the macroeconomic and bank-specific determinants of non-performing loans (NPL) in the Nepalese banking system using both static and dynamic panel estimation approaches. The study considers 30 Nepalese commercial banks over the period 2003-2015 and uses 7 bank-specific and 5 macroeconomic variables to assess the impact of banking management and economic indicators on NPL. The findings show that NPLs have significant positive relationship with the export to import ratio, inefficiency, and assets size and a negative relationship with the GDP growth rate, capital adequacy, and inflation rate. The results of the empirical study indicate low economic growth as the primary cause of high NPLs in Nepal and suggest that efficient management and effective financial policies are required for a stable financial system and economy. This is the first complete study in the Nepalese banking system and also the first study that has evaluated the effects of remittance, public debts and interest spreads on NPL. The findings of this study will be helpful in designing the macroprudential and fiscal policies in Nepal.</abstract>

Macroeconomic and Bank-Specific Determinants of Non-Performing Loans: Evidence from Nepalese Banking System

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The first central banks were founded in the XVII century and monetary policy has been evolving ever since. Knowledge on monetary economy has improved significantly over the last couple of decades and a consensus has been reached in a number of areas. As a result, hyperinflations have been extremely rare over the past decades.The global financial crisis challenged traditional monetary policy that was based on the approach involving one instrument (reference interest rate) and one goal (price stability). It is obvious that we need a new approach to monetary policy and I believe that changes will happen gradually in the future.This paper consists of two parts. The first part covers the traditional monetary policy and deals with issues where consensus has been reached, as well as with issues on monetary policy objectives, transparency, and macroprudential policy.The second part addresses the issues that pose a challenge for monetary policy and for which there is no complete consensus. This part elaborates on the dilemma involving rules versus discretions, a new approach to banking supervision, monetary policy during a crisis, the role of econometric models, and the need for international coordination of monetary policy.</abstract>

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