Financial systems are crucial to the allocation of resources in a modern economy. They channel household savings to the corporate sector and allocate investment funds among firms; they allow intertemporal smoothing of consumption by households and expenditures by firms; and they enable households and firms to share risks. These functions are common to the financial systems of most developed economies. Yet the form of these financial systems varies widely. In the United States and the United Kingdom competitive markets dominate the financial landscape, whereas in France, Germany, and Japan banks have traditionally played the most important role. Why do different countries have such different financial systems? Is one system better than all the others? Do different systems merely represent alternative ways of satisfying similar needs? Is the current trend toward market-based systems desirable? Franklin Allen and Douglas Gale argue that the view that market-based systems are best is simplistic. A more nuanced approach is necessary. For example, financial markets may be bad for risk sharing; competition in banking may be inefficient; financial crises can be good as well as bad; and separation of ownership and control can be optimal. Financial institutions are not simply veils, disguising the allocation mechanism without affecting it, but are crucial to overcoming market imperfections. An optimal financial system relies on both financial markets and financial intermediaries.

比较金融系统 = Comparing financial systems

The article attempts to summarize the results of a global scientific discussion in the field of financial development. Four areas of research on financial development have been identified and analyzed, which seem to be the most noticeable and significant both for the global economic discussion and for Russian experts: the impact of financial development on economic growth; the problem of assessing financial development; financial inclusion; sustainable finance concept. It is noted that the last two areas are closely related to the concepts of socio-economic development, respectively, of inclusive growth (“growth for all”) and of sustainable development. The necessity of taking into account the latest achievements of the world scientific thought in the Russian state policy concerning the financial sector is substantiated.

The present state of global scientific debate in the field of financial development

This chapter examines the effects of financial deepening on the sources of economic growth in Russia. Previous empirical literature based on cross-country studies presented the evidence that in developing countries financial development affects capital accumulation more than productivity growth. We tested this proposition with panel data from 75 regions of Russia’s regions between 2008 and 2015 using system generalized method of moments techniques. Our results are not consistent with this proposition: the effect of finance on output growth occurs primarily through productivity; the positive influence of finance on capital accumulation is less significant, which is more typical for developed countries. This outcome can be explained by the fact that structural problems in Russia and developed countries are somewhat similar. More helpful for Russian economy are tools that would help business get a more profound effect from efforts to promote innovation and boost productivity than from increasing investment by expanding credit.

Financial Development and Economic Growth in Russia

In this paper, based on a cross-country analysis, the authors distil different models of the financial sector, which are characterized by peculiar interrelations among size, structure, efficiency, stability, inclusion and the institutional quality of financial development. Against this backdrop, the model of the Russian financial sector is described. To identify the financial sector models, cluster analysis involving the EM algorithm with a Bayesian extension is performed on a vast sample of countries. The analysis allows setting key long-term indicators of the Russian financial sector development, taking into consideration its potential of transition to the cluster of more financially advanced economies.

Определение модели российского финансового сектора на основе межстранового анализа

The paper analyzes the influence of the dynamics of retail financial markets on the development of financial sector on the annual data for 39 countries, including developed and developing economies, for the period 1990—2018. To assess the general dynamics of retail markets development, a composite indicator was built. This indicator is included in the models for corporate lending market, stock market and non-life insurance market. The results show that, on the one hand, the development of retail markets (households credit market, life insurance market and private pension funds) stimulates the development of non-retail financial markets (corporate lending market, stock market and non-life insurance market) due to the expansion of their resources. On the other hand, overheating of retail credit market has a negative impact on the stability of the banking sector and subsequently leads to a reduction in the size of the corporate credit market, and the excessively rapid growth of life insurance market may hinder the development of its other segments.

Retail financial markets as a driver for the development of financial sector

В статье изложены результаты эмпирического анализа взаимосвязи между ресурсной зависимостью и финансовым развитием. Показано, что между ресурсной специализацией экономики и финансовым развитием наблюдается отрицательная корреляция. Наиболее выражена она в случае финансового посредничества, в случае же финансовых рынков она не столь значима. Сходные результаты получены и при вычислении частных коэффициентов корреляции, когда контрольными переменными служили показатели среднедушевого ВВП и качества управления, публикуемые Всемирным банком.

О. Г. Солнцев

Papers

Определение модели российского финансового сектора на основе межстранового анализа

Ресурсная зависимость и финансовое развитие