Obama plan for banks can help to avoid a new financial crisis

U.S. President Barack Obama’s plan to separate core commercial banking from some higher-risk activities in financial conglomerates and to place a moratorium on further consolidation could help to avoid a new financial crisis by resolving some major risks inherent to the current financial system.

Viet Nam - Investment Policy Review - OECD

This publication presents the results of the first OECD investment policy review of Viet Nam. It finds that the progress Viet Nam has achieved in less than two decades in putting into place a legal framework and implementing policies that mobilise private investment, including international direct investment, to support economic growth and the prosperity of Viet Nam’s citizens has been remarkable. Starting from a situation in which

Compilation on Monopsony and Buyer Power -- No. 98

Buyer power is concerned with how downstream firms can affect the terms of trade with upstream suppliers. There are two types of buyer power: monopsony power and bargaining power. The welfare implications, and therefore the appropriate enforcement policies, of the two types of buyer power are very different. Both result in lower input prices, but the exercise of monopsony power usually results in higher prices downstream.

Compilation on Two-Sided Markets -- No. 97

Firms operating in two-sided markets have to balance the interlinked demands of two types of customers. This may require a skewed price structure, which raises the issue of whether two-sided markets are socially efficient. In general, the profit maximizing structure is not socially optimal. But it does not exhibit any obvious bias, either. The Delegates discussed the ways in which enforcement issues differ in two-sided markets as

Compilation on Informal Economies -- No. 100

Different definitions have been employed in order to capture different aspects of the informal economy. It often comprises a substantial share of GDP in many developing countries. Many researchers are concerned that informal firms negatively impact an economy because they are typically less productive than formal firms. Informal firms which fail to comply with various economic regulations or which fail to meet their tax obligations

Compilation on National Champions -- No. 96

It is often said that competition policy protects competition, not individual competitors. Policies that support this concept promote consumer welfare, choice and efficiency. How sharply does industrial policy conflict with this? Industrial policy creates or favours national champions; yet it purports to have the same goals and produce many of the same benefits for the market. This roundtable examined the tensions and interesting

Bribery: Impact and Prevention, Chatham House Conference, 19 January 2010

OECD Deputy Secretary-General Richard Boucher and the United Kingdom’s Secretary of Justice the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP and UK Permanent Representative to the OECD Dominic Martin talked about the challenges of tackling bribery at a conference in Chatham House

Portugal - Phase 2 written follow-up to the Report on Implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

This report outlines Portugal's response to the recommendations and follow-up issues identified by the Working Group at the time of Portugal's Phase 2 examination in March 2007.

Related Documents

• Portugal - Phase 1: Report on Implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
• Portugal - Phase 2: Report on Implementation of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

OECD Demands the Slovak Republic establish corporate liability for foreign bribery

The OECD Working Group on Bribery sharply criticised the Slovak Republic’s failure to bring its anti-bribery law on corporate liability into line with its international obligations under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

The Elephant in the Room: The Need to Deal with What Banks Do

Contagion risk and counterparty failure have been the main hallmarks of the current crisis. While some large diversified banks that focused mainly on commercial banking survived very well, others suffered crippling losses. Sound corporate governance and strong risk-management culture should enable banks to avoid excessive leverage and risk taking. The question is whether there is a better way, via leverage rules or rules on the