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corona

  • Monday 11/10/2021
    National Bank of Belgium

    Since the outbreak and global spread of COVID-19, central banks and governments worldwide have provided massive stimulus to the economy. Looking ahead, however, the question rises whether monetary policy by central banks and fiscal policy by governments will be able to respond with the same vigour and effectiveness to future crises, given structurally low interest rates and higher government debt. This article takes a closer look at the different options to build back fiscal buffers. Do countries need forceful consolidation, can countries grow out of debt or should central banks simply cancel the debts? The analysis is two-fold. The first part empirically assesses the potential of some traditional avenues to bring public debt dynamics in Belgium under control. The second part is more conceptual, critically evaluating the rather heterodox proposal of cancelling government debt on the central bank balance sheet.

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Arnaud Navez

    This article is based on the intervention of Arnaud Navez, CFO of Argafin, during the Belgian Financial Forum Webinar on enterprise financing (June the 8th, 2021).

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Jean-Pierre di Bartolomeo

    This article is based on the intervention (in the form of an interview) of Jean-Pierre di Bartolomeo, President of the Executive Committee of the SOWALFIN Group, during the Belgian Financial Forum webinar on enterprise financing (June the 8th, 2021).

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    UWE

    On June the 8th 2021, the Belgian Financial Forum and the Union Wallonne des Entreprises co-organised a Webinar on the financing of the Walloon enterprises in the aftermath of the COVID crisis. This article is based on the interventions during this Webinar.

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Cedric Collaert / Sven Siedlecki

    Belgium hosts a number of significant financial market infrastructures, custodians and critical service providers, some of which also have a systemic relevance internationally. This article aims at providing an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business activity of the Belgian institutions that are relevant for the international post-trade sector: the international central securities depository Euroclear Bank, the global custodian BNY Mellon SA/NV and the financial messaging services provider SWIFT. We compare among others the evolution of the number and value of transactions and the assets under custody in 2020 with the pre-pandemic year 2019 to identify what was the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and whether this was temporary.

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Francesco Mazzaferro

    Report of the speech given by Francesco Mazzaferro, Head of the ESRB Secretariat, during the Belgian Financial Forum Webinar on May 27, 2021. Prepared by Frank Lierman, Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Revue bancaire et financière/Bank- en Financiewezen

  • Tuesday 31/8/2021
    Dir. HIlgers - Prof. Degryse

    This article is based on the interventions of Jean Hilgers (National Bank of Belgium) and Professor Hans Degryse (KU Leuven) during the Webinar on the Macroprudential and Financial Stability Report of the National Bank of Belgium (June the 3rd, 2021).

  • Tuesday 15/6/2021
    Karel Baert

    Today’s banks are healthier and more solid than they were a decade ago. Sustainability and transparency are top priorities and the focus lies on the traditional core task of converting savings into loans. As a result, the banking sector was able to play its full role in society during the corona crisis. Companies, consumers, and individuals experiencing financial difficulties could count on postponing the repayment of their loans. A state guarantee scheme for enterprise loans totalling €10 billion was developed as well. In addition, regular credit production for companies was maintained. However, this does not mean that the other challenges – such as the increasing digital transformation of society and therefore also of the financial sector – have disappeared. On the contrary, they too remain at the top of the priority list.

  • Tuesday 15/6/2021
    Hugues Bultot

    This article is based on the intervention of Hugues Bultot, founder & CEO of Univercells, during the panel discussion at the EIB – National Bank of Belgium Webinar “Investment for a sustainable recovery in Belgium” on 30 April 2021.

  • Tuesday 15/6/2021
    Wim Vermeir

    This article is based on the intervention of Wim Vermeir, Chief Investment Officer of AG Insurance – Ageas during the panel discussion at the EIB – National Bank of Belgium Webinar “Investment for a sustainable recovery in Belgium” on 30 April 2021.

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