Development Bank Essay

956 Words2 Pages

The supply-leading hypothesis assumes that financial development may promote economic growth. Therefore, growth depends positively on investment. Investment is supported by borrowing, which in turn is made possible by deposits through banks and non-bank financial institutions. Development banks are one such financial institution that is mandated to channel funds from savers to borrowers to support investment. These institutions are however facing numerous challenges brought on by the effects of financial liberalization, globalization and increased opportunities being created by technology. Therefore, the Development Bank of Jamaica must continuously be in the mode of adaption, retaining and reviewing of their procedures so that they can respond positively to the challenges confronting them.
According to Levine (1997), the financial system enables the more effective exchange of goods and services, mobilizes individual and corporate savings, enables the more efficient allocation of resources and monitoring of corporate managements through capital markets and allows for the pooling of risk. Financial intermediaries such as building societies, insurance companies, banks, pension funds, credit unions and the stock market are heavily relied on. Hence, without them investment might not take place, technological progress is likely to be withheld leading to a reduction in growth process. There is obviously some relationship between the development of a financial sector and economic growth once the functions of the financial sector are efficiently and effectively undertaken.
Despite the support, incentives and initiatives implemented for the Development Bank of Jamaica, the fact still remains that the bank effective operation will enc...

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... of private banks. Therefore, well- connected industrialists may have superior ability to attract loans or equity from development banks, even in cases where they would be able to get capital elsewhere (Ades and Di Tella, 1997; Haber, 2002; Krueger, 1990). However, La Porta, et al., (2002) document that government ownership of banks is associated with lower subsequent economic growth and argues that politicians use government – owned banks to further their own political goals. Good governance plays an important role in preventing government interference in credit decisions, as it differentiate between the rights and responsibilities of the different stakeholders of the DB. In order to achieve efficiency, the bank need to be organized as firm, with shareholders, board of directors and management. The accountability of each of these groups needs to be clearly stated.

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