On Dollarization

Abstract

Recent worldwide turmoil in financial markets is triggering a major revision of the conventional wisdom about Emerging Market countries’ (EMs) macroeconomic management. As a result, the debate is wide open as to the set of policies and institutional arrangements that would ensure EMs’ macroeconomic stability. Opinions range from those favoring further pursuing market-friendly reforms to controls on capital mobility and even trade, and from dollarization to floating exchange rates. The debate on the appropriate exchange rate system, in particular, has taken center-stage.