Who pays for bank insolvency in transition and emerging economies?

This paper explores the equity of the way losses from bank insolvencies and their avoidance through intervention by the authorities have been distributed over creditors, depositors, owners and the population at large in transition and emerging economies. It suggests a number of regulatory reforms that would alter the balance between seeking to avoid insolvency and lowering the costs of insolvency should it occur. It considers whether a lex specialis for dealing with problem banks by prompt corrective action and if necessary resolving them if their net worth falls to zero, at little or no cost to the taxpayer can be applied in the circumstances of transition and emerging economies. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.