Op-Eds

ASEAN Central Banks Need New Tools for New Risks

and | 13 May 2026
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: ASEAN, Central Banks, Energy, Systemic Risks, Targeted Refinancing Lines
Southeast Asia faces a growing exposure to novel interacting risks that drive inflation and financial instability. Under the Philippines’ leadership as 2026 ASEAN chair, there is an opportunity to strengthen the region’s response to reduce exposure to and manage the risks through the ASEAN Finance ... continue reading

Closing the Gap to Boost Asean Resilience Against Novel Risks

| 23 April 2026
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: ASEAN+3, Central Banks, Financial Supervision, Macroprudential Policy, Systemic Risks
The Philippines deserves genuine credit for its stewardship of this year’s Asean Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM). Various novel risks and challenges have been discussed – from geoeconomic and geopolitical risks to cross border payments, financial resilience and climate risk management. ... continue reading

Insurance Protection for Climate-Resilient Progress

| 27 March 2026
Fiscal, Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: Climate Risks, Insurance, Vietnam
This op-ed was first published in the Vietnam Investment Review. The World Bank has estimated that about $300 billion of the country’s commercial and industrial assets are vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Patrick Lenain, senior associate at the Council on Economic Policies, looks at the gaps ... continue reading

Fortifying the Role of Finance After Indonesia’s Floods

and | 14 March 2026
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: Climate Risks, Financial Stability, Governing Finance, Indonesia, Macroprudential Policy
The floods are a stark reminder that finance is never neutral. When well governed, it can absorb shocks, speed reconstruction and strengthen resilience. When misaligned, it can amplify fragilities and lock in future risks. ... continue reading

Industrial Policy: ‘Europe Can No Longer Afford the Inefficiency of a National Patchwork’

and | 30 January 2026
Fiscal, Op-Eds | Tags: Competition, Decarbonization, Europe, Fiscal Space, Industrial Policy
Faced with American and Chinese competition, Europe must undertake a radical shift: move from a mosaic of national subsidies to a unified and more intelligent industrial policy, argue Patrick Lenain and Rens van Tilburg.  ... continue reading

Direction Ahead for Low-Carbon Development Finance in Vietnam

| 15 January 2026
Fiscal, Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: Economic Growth, Energy, Governing Finance, Industrial Policy, Vietnam
Climate finance is featured prominently in international climate negotiations, and a number of countries have published climate finance strategies outlining investment needs for mitigation and adaptation. Yet a narrow focus on climate finance risks missing the point. ... continue reading

Sanaenomics: Bridging Abenomics and New Capitalism

| 5 November 2025
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: Economic Growth, Governing Finance, Japan
Sanae Takaichi begins her tenure as prime minister of Japan with a rare combination of political momentum and market confidence. Her inaugural public-support rating exceeds that of her recent predecessors, and equities have risen nearly 10% since she became leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. ... continue reading

The Bank of Japan Must Define a Strategy for Its ETF Holdings – Not Just Its Sales

and | 28 October 2025
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: Asset Purchases, Central Banks, Governing Finance, Japan
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) plans to sell its ETFs at roughly 620 billion yen a year on a market-value basis (330 billion yen on a book-value basis), a time frame under which BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda said it would "take more than 100 years" ... continue reading

Tax Expenditures: Time to Clean House

, and | 27 October 2025
Fiscal, Op-Eds | Tags: France, GTED, Tax Expenditures
The state of France’s public finances is worrying. The public deficit has rarely been so high outside periods of crisis, and public debt has reached record levels. Stabilising it will require a substantial adjustment—on the order of €120 billion to €150 billion. ... continue reading

Central Banks Must Guide Asean+3 Through Age of Novel Risks

and | 14 October 2025
Monetary, Op-Eds | Tags: ASEAN+3, Central Banks, Climate Risks, Macroprudential Policy
The prosperity of Asean+3 economies – the 10 South-east Asian nations plus China (including Hong Kong), Japan and South Korea – hinges on whether policymakers, central banks and financial supervisors can navigate an increasingly complex landscape of novel risks. ... continue reading