Risks to Mexico's banking sector

When the official body charged with assessing the stability of Mexico's financial system (Consejo de Estabilidad del Sistema Financiero) issued its first report yesterday, it gave Mexico's financial system a clean bill of health. The Council (CESF) is presided over by Hacienda and its members include Banco de Mexico, the CNBV (National Banking and Securities Commission), the CNSF (National Insurance and Bond Commission), the Consar (National Commission for Retirement Savings), and the IPAB (Institute for the Protection of Savings in Banks).

The CESF, the latest in the string of anacronyms overseeing the financial system, did observe that "an abrupt reversion of capital flows toward Mexico" could have have "unfavorable impact" but that it would be limited, thanks to actions taken by the government in recent years. The CESF also stated that "the Mexican economy has been capable of absorbing in an orderly manner the elevated capital inflows it has received recently and without generating distortions in the principal financial variables". The CESF goes on to assure us that "(T)he underlying conditions of the Mexican economy are solid and growth perspectives, favorable."

Finally, the CESF concludes that although "the indebtedness of states and municipalities does not presently represent an important problem for Mexico's financial system, it is necessary to generate adequate incentives to improve transparency and promote prudent fiscal policies by states and municipalities." Amen.