De-Risking and Other Challenges in the Emerging Market Financial Sector

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between increasing compliance costs and correspondent bank de-risking, among other challenges, and the ability of private-sector banks in emerging markets to continue providing international banking services to their customers. The IFC Financial Institutions Group, which provides investment and advisory services to banks, microfinance institutions, mortgage and insurance companies, and other financial services providers in emerging markets, has built a global network of hundreds of clients in more than one hundred countries who rely on cross-border banking to serve the needs of their customers and, through their customers, their countries. This paper seeks to enlighten the public discourse on de-risking by sharing insights gleaned from the perspectives of IFC’s network of global emerging market financial institution clients. In this discussion, the authors present the results of the 2017 Correspondent Banking in Emerging Markets survey, undertaken by IFC to capture both data and information from IFC client banks in ninety two emerging markets.