80th Annual Report, 2009/10

In its 80th Annual Report the BIS notes that the steps taken by governments and central banks prevented a financial system meltdown and helped bring to an end the great contraction in global economic activity. The policy tasks that lie ahead, which are no less daunting than they were a year ago, are analysed in the Annual Report.

Introduction: Beyond the rescue, exiting intensive care and finishing the reforms

The financial crisis has left policymakers with a daunting legacy, especially in industrial countries. In setting policies, they must adopt a medium- to longterm perspective while they cope with the still fragile and uneven recovery. Households have only just begun to reduce their indebtedness and therefore continue to curb spending. Extraordinary support measures helped to contain contagion across markets, preventing the worst. But some measures have delayed the needed adjustments in the real economy and financial sector, where the reduction of leverage and balance sheet repair are far from complete. All this continues to weigh on confidence. The combination of remaining vulnerabilities in the financial system and the side effects of ongoing intensive care threaten to send the patient into relapse and to undermine reform efforts.