Monetary and Financial Cooperation in Asia

As a part of the ongoing work on monetary and financial cooperation in Asia, a proposal of Reserve Bank of Asia (RBA) as an institutional infrastructure has been developed (PB #3). It has been shown that an institutional infrastructure like RBA could enable the region to harness its substantial foreign exchange reserves for its development besides providing a basis of exchange rate stability. Another study on the subject examined relevance of India’s monetary integration with East Asia. The analysis shows that significant complementarities in trade exist among these countries, most of them experience similar shocks and labour mobility is already present. These results point to the fact that the cost of adopting a single currency may be minimal, while huge benefits could accrue from enhanced trade. The study, issued as an RIS Discussion Paper (#64), also recognizes the importance of yen for the success of the monetary union in Asia.

Research Team: Dr. Ramgopal Agarwala, Dr. Sweta C. Saxena and Dr Mirza Allim Baig