Corruption, Composition of Capital Flows, and Currency Crises
Author: Shang-Jin Wei
Publisher:
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 28
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKCorruption affects the composition of capital inflows in a way that may raise the likelihood of a currency crisis.Crony capitalism and international creditors' self-fulfilling expectations are often suggested as rival explanations for currency crises. A possible link between the two has not been explored.Wei shows one channel through which crony capitalism can increase the chance of a currency/financial crisis by altering the composition of capital inflows.Using data on bilateral foreign direct investment and bilateral bank loans, Wei finds clear evidence that in corrupt countries the composition of capital inflows is relatively light in foreign direct investment.Earlier studies indicated that a country with a capital inflow structure is more likely to run into a currency crisis down the road (partly through international creditors' self-fulfilling expectations).Therefore, crony capitalism, through its effect on the composition of a country's capital inflows, makes the country more vulnerable to currency crises brought about by self-fulfilling expectations. Corruption may also weaken domestic financial supervision, with a subsequent deterioration in the quality in banks' and firms' balance sheets.This paper - a product of Public Economics, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the connection between corruption and international capital flows. This study was supported in part by a grant from the OECD Development Center. The author may be contacted at [email protected].