Annals of Spiru Haret University Economic Series (Sep 2010)
The impact of the financial crisis on the currency and the monetary system
Abstract
The present-day economic and financial crisis (depression) appears unprecedented in the last half century. The international financial crisis has been extended to the Romanian economy. However, in terms of direct impact, the Romanian banking system was less affected by not being exposed to toxic assets, and because of prudential and administrative measures taken by the NBR. Indirectly, however, the international financial crisis and especially its obvious consequence – the recession in developed countries - has expanded to the Romanian economy, on several channels. The shopping channel slowed export growth and even reduced them. The financial channel has limited the access to external financing, and thus restricted the lending volume, generating private external debt service difficulties. On the exchange rate channel, the reduction in external financing reflected in national currency depreciation. On the confidence channel, there was a withdrawal of investors from Eastern Europe countries. Among the measures adopted by the central bank, the most notable were targeting inflation and currency interventions. By adopting inflation targeting, the central bank opted to make more room in establishing foreign exchange market, and after the onset of the current international financial crisis, including the 2009-2010, adopted a controlled floating exchange rate. This does not mean intervention in the forex market on a discretionary basis. NBR policy on foreign exchange intervention has been guided by the philosophy that high exchange rate volatility is harmful for both the inflation target and the financial health of the real and financial sector.
