A payment system encompasses a set of instruments and means generally acceptable in making payments; the institutional and organizational framework governing such payments, including prudential regulation; and the operating procedures and communications network used to initiate and transmit payment information from payer to payee and to settle payments. This book, by Omotunde E.G. Johnson, with Richard K. Abrams, Jean-Marc Destresse, Tony Lybek, Nicholas Roberts, and Mark Swinburne, identifies main policy and strategic issues in payment system reform, describes the structure of payment systems in selected countries, highlights areas of consensus, and suggests the direction for future policy analysis.

This book provides an authoritative overview of the complex practical and policy implications of international payments systems by central bankers from both developed and developing countries, Payments Systems in Global Perspective presents the results of a survey of international central bank practice conducted by the Bank of England.

the adaptation of the institutional settings of monetary policy to deal with an emerging market economy had to be carried out in the midst of an unprecedented stabilization effort and, therefore, was particularly urgent and complicated. In many of the transition countries, the transformation effort implied not just changes in procedures but the establishment of a central bank from scratch, a process that involved an important effort, precisely at a time when the whole system was in serious turmoil. While the process of reforms is not yet completed in all the transition countries, an immense amount of progress has been achieved, and many of the transition countries face today monetary and central banking conditions that are close to those of Western economies. In this volume, we collect a number of important contributions that discuss the most burning aspects of the current debates on central banking and monetary policy and draw implications for the postsocialist transition economies. The various papers included in the volume deal with a broad set of related issues, which are highly relevant not just for transition economies but for other emerging markets and for advanced economies as well. The subjects covered in the book are divided into seven major categories (Sections II to VIII), some of which overlap.

"Central bankers worldwide welcome the recent increase of research on payment systems. This volume, providing an expert overview on this timely subject, should be required reading for us all". - Erkki Liikanen, Governor of the Bank of Finland Monetary policy has been at the centre of economic research from the early stages of economic thought, but payment system research has attracted increased academic attention only in the past decade. This book’s succeeds in merging these two so far largely separated fields. Innovative and groundbreaking, Schmitz and Woods initiate research on the interdependence of institutional change in the payments system and monetary policy, examining the different channels via which payment systems affect monetary policy. It explores important themes such as: conceptualization and methods of analysis of institutional change in the payments system determinants of institutional change in the payments system – political-economy versus technology empirics of institutional change in the retail and in the wholesale payments systems – policy initiatives and new technologies in the payments system implications of institutional change in the payments system for monetary policy and the instruments available to central banks to cope with it. The result is an accessible overview of conceptual and methodological approaches to institutional change in payment systems, and a comprehensive and yet thorough assessment of its implications for monetary policy. The insights this timely book provides will be invaluable for researchers and practitioners in the field of monetary economics.

Over the last ten years mobile payment systems have revolutionised banking in some countries in Africa. In Kenya the introduction of M-Pesa, a new financial services model, has transformed the banking and financial services industry. Giving the unbanked majority access to the financial services market it has attracted over 18 million subscribers which is remarkable given that fewer than 4 million people in Kenya have bank accounts. This book addresses the legal and regulatory issues arising out of the introduction of M-Pesa in Kenya and its drive towards financial inclusion. It considers the interaction between regulation and technological innovation with a particular focus on the regulatory tools, institutional arrangements and government decisional processes through the examination as a whole of its regulatory capacity. This is done with a view to understanding the regulatory capacity of Kenya in addressing the vulnerabilities presented by technological innovation in the financial industry for consumers after financial inclusion. It also examines the way that mobile payments have been regulated by criticising the piecemeal approach that the Central Bank of Kenya has taken in addressing the legal and regulatory issues presented by mobile payments. The book argues there are significant gaps in the regulatory regime of mobile banking in Kenya.

This book makes a practical contribution to increased understanding of payment system design and management and of the relationship between the payment system and monetary policy. The authors of the twelve papers included in the book are central banking experts from around the world who draw on their experiences in providing technical assistance to the central banks of the countries of the former U.S.S.R.

The U.S. payment system is in the midst of a significant transition. Some of the changes to our payment system, involving its efficiency, the risks inherent in the payment process, and the role of the private and public sectors in the payment mechanism, are the subject of considerable debate and controversy. In recent years, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has played an active part in the development and implementation of policies to improve the payment process. The Bank's operations staff has represented the Federal Reserve System in work with the banking industry to help shape and implement programs to increase efficiency and reduce payment risk. Further, our Research Department has made payment system research an important part of its agenda. The mix of practical experience and research has resulted in a unique perspective on payment system issues that led us to organize a symposium on the U.S. payment system, held on May 25-26, 1988, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Reflecting our belief in the importance of combining both practical experience and theory in addressing payment issues, we invited practi tioners, scholars, and policymakers to share their ideas. The symposium provided an opportunity for those researchers who are studying p- xi PREFACE xii ment issues to present their ideas and to have these ideas evaluated by experienced practitioners.

Central Bank Policy: Theory and Practice analyses various policies, theories and practices adopted by central banks, as well as the institutional arrangements underlying the principles of good governance in policy-making. It is the first book to comprehensively discuss the latest theories and practices of central bank policy.

The prosperity and stability of any economic structure is reliant upon a foundation of secure systems that regulate the movement of money across the globe. These structures have become an integral part of contemporary society by reducing monetary risk and increasing financial security. Analyzing the Economics of Financial Market Infrastructures is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on the current developments in financial systems and how these processes are evolving due to new regulations and technical advances. Featuring extensive coverage on a range of relevant topics on payment systems, central securities depositories, central counterparties, and trade repositories, this book is an essential reference source for professionals in the financial sector, analysts, IT professionals, and academicians concerned with emerging research on financial markets. This book features timely, research-based chapters on a variety of crucial topics including, but not limited to, payment timing, multi-layer networks, transaction simulations, payment system analysis, and regulation of financial marketplaces.

Central Banks should enjoy a fair degree of autonomy in pursuing price stability to promote long-run growth and prosperity. This volume, edited by Patrick Downes and Reza Vaez-Zadeh, contains the papers presented at the fifth IMF seminar on central banking issues in November 1990. The theme was the interdependence of central bank functions and the role of central bank autonomy.