Dealing with capital inflows: Are there any lessons?

Abstract

We have now witnessed more than half a decade of relatively heavy capital inflows to a large group of highly heterogeneous developing countries and economies in transition in Asia, Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union, Latin America, and parts of Africa and the Middle East--we have also witnessed the broad range of policy responses that these inflows have elicited. In light of this, the aim of this paper is threefold: first, we take stock of which countries implemented which policies; second, we attempt to assess to what extent the policies achieved their intended objectives; lastly, we draw lessons about which policies appear to have been the most successful tool in coping with surging capital inflows, with emphasis on the "policy mix" and how they interact.capital inflows capital controls reserve requirements exchange rate policy sterilized intervention