Assessing the economy-wide impacts of strengthened bank capital requirements in Indonesia using a financial computable general equilibrium model

Abstract

ABSTRACT After the 2008 global financial crisis, authorities across the globe stressed the importance of equity capital to absorb losses. While many countries have raised bank capital adequacy requirements (CARs), the comprehensive impact assessment of this policy for emerging economies remains largely unexplored. We use a financial computable general equilibrium (FCGE) model of Indonesia called AMELIA-F to investigate the economy-wide impact of a 100 basis points increase in the CAR of Indonesian banks. Bank balance sheets contract as they move away from holding riskier assets, aiding macroeconomic stability. However, both non-housing and housing investment contract as banks pass on higher funding costs, driving long-run real GDP below baseline. As we discuss, debt-to-equity ratios for these sectors, and the economy-wide private debt to income ratio all fall, thus aiding long-run macroeconomic stability.