Support for small businesses amid COVID-19
A sizeable proportion of enterprises, especially SMEs, in receipt of financial assistance from the government will fail to repay. This column asks...
Time inconsistency in recent monetary policy
A decade of near-zero, and even negative, interest rates in advanced economies has both encouraged the continued accumulation of debt and a search for...
Coronavirus panic fuels a surge in cash demand
Despite regular reports in the media over the past decade on the imminent death of cash amid rapid innovation in payment technologies, cash in...
Finance and politics: New insights
A rapidly expanding literature has shown the importance of political economy factors for legislative and regulatory actions in the financial sector...
The neighbourhood effect of reforms after crises
Countries reform when their neighbours have reformed too, especially in the aftermath of economic crises. This column examines business regulatory...
Less red tape, more local entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment: the path to recovery
More flexible business regulation encourages both the development of startups and the inflow of foreign investment, write Simeon Djankov, Dorina...
COVID-19: an opportunity to digitise property transactions
Online transactions bring speed and cost efficiency, fostering the expansion of the real estate market, write Marie Delion and Simeon Djankov.
The political scar of epidemics
What will be the political legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic? This column uses data from the 2006-2018 Gallup World Polls to show that epidemic exposure...
Inflation after the pandemic: Theory and practice
The correlation between monetary growth and inflation has an historic pedigree as long as your arm. This column argues that rejecting the likelihood...
Regulatory reforms: the silver lining after COVID-19
Fiscal crises spur regulatory reform, which, in turn, speed up economic recovery, write Simeon Djankov, Dorina Georgieva and Hibret Maemir.
How governments can ease the entry of ‘recovery entrepreneurs'
Crises bring creative destruction. It's time to help new companies and job opportunities emerge, write Simeon Djankov and Frederic Meunier.
Revenge of the experts: Will COVID-19 renew or diminish trust in science?
It is argued that COVID-19 will reverse the ongoing trend of challenging the value of science and the integrity of scientists. This column shows that...
When economic informality is high, cash transfers may be the best Covid response
Job retention schemes, unemployment benefits and business loans may not apply in many developing countries, write Erica Bosio and Simeon Djankov.
The need to issue long-dated gilts
The COVID-19 crisis presents a multi-faceted challenge to policymakers. A combination of declining commodity prices, the rise in unemployment, and...
UK investment fund for high-growth firms is a step in the right direction
Juanita Gonzalez-Uribe explains in her latest blog why she thinks the second-wave policy tool meant to deal with Covid-19 may have design flaws that...
The simplest way to unlock $4.65 trillion in liquidity for firms
Governments wondering how to help the private sector should look no further: just pay your bills on time, write Erica Bosio, Simeon Djankov, Emilia...
