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This paper examines the relevance of the bank lending channel of monetary policy in Egypt using bank-level data. Previous empirical studies in Egypt that used macro-level data have not supported the relevance of the bank lending channel. However, using a sample of 32 commercial banks for the period from 1998 until 2011 and a dynamic panel GMM technique, the empirical findings revealed the relevance of the bank lending channel of monetary policy in Egypt. Moreover, there is a heterogeneity effect of monetary policy on bank loans according to bank size, in which the small banks are more affected during a monetary contraction than larger banks. This finding signals that the monetary authorities in Egypt should take cognizance of the stability of interest rates in order to stabilize the bank loan supply.Abstrak: Makalah ini membahas relevansi bank penyalur pinjaman kebijakan moneter/bank sentral di Mesir dengan menggunakan data bank bertingkat. Beberapa studi empiris sebelumnya yang menggunakan data tingkat makro belum mendukung relevansi penyaluran pinjaman bank. Namun, dengan menggunakan sampel dari 32 bank umum dari periode 1998 hingga 2011 dan dengan memakai teknik panel GMM dinamis, kami menemukan bukti empiris yang menunjukkan adanya relevansi saluran peminjaman bank kebijakan moneter di Mesir. Selain itu, ada efek heterogenitas kebijakan moneter pinjaman bank sesuai dengan ukuran bank, di mana pada umumnya bank yang kecil lebih terpengaruh selama kontraksi moneter dibandingkan dengan bank yang lebih besar. Temuan ini menunjukan bahwa pihak otoritas moneter di Mesir harus bertanggung jawab atas kestabilan suku bunga agar terjaga kestabilan pasokan pinjaman bank.

This paper examines the market structure and competitiveness of the banking industry in Jordan and the GCC countries during the period 2003-2010, using a method proposed by Panzar and Rosse (1987

The emergence of the Asian financial crisis in July 1997 had a tremendous impact on the economies of the Asian countries. This study aims at linking the contagion theory and the crisis faced in Malaysia with more emphasis on the effect of the contagion volatility in the currency exchange market. This research uses the co-relation analysis, models of ARCH, GARCH and also GJR-GARCH in demonstrating the link. The results show that the crisis in Malaysia was not merely due to the weakness in its economic fundamentals, but also due to the contagion and volatility effects particularly originated from Thailand and Singapore. This study suggests the need for a more systematic management system with improved transparency in the financial sector even though the effect of the crisis contagion could hardly be prevented.

A farm survey of 915 rice farmers in the Muda area showed that about 80% of the farmers own sprayers. The lever operated knapsack (LOK) sprayer is most popular. They are sold in over 30 brand names, mainly in retail and hardware shops. Sprayers owned are generally between 3-6 years old. About 76% of the farmers said that they are considering buying a sprayer in the near future. The most popular choice is the LOK sprayer with a tank capacity of about 3 gallons and a price range of between M$50-100 (US$19-38). Farmers are not aware of the newer spray methods, such as controlled droplet application, tractor-mounted sprayers and fogging machines. About 93% had never attended any training course on crop spraying or sprayer maintenance. In case of problems with sprayers, they normally do not seek help. Most farmers said they normally clean the sprayers using water f rom the irrigation canals after each use. Nozzles are also cleaned but are seldom replaced. It is apparent from the survey that there is an urgent need for more training programmes on spraying techniques and sprayer maintenance for rice farmers in the Muda area. The LOK sprayer is likely to remain as the main spray equipment and efforts should be made to improve them, both in research and in improving use efficiency. There is great variation in quality of the various brands available. Minimum standards should be set to prevent the sale of poor quality sprayers, which will contaminate the operators. Agricultural authorities should consider establishing centres or 'sprayer clinics', where farmers can obtain advice, repairs and training on spray equipment formulations, much less effort is directed at understanding the sprayer, which makes the final delivery of the pesticide to the target. It seems ironic that effort is spent on developing a deadly bullet but not the gun that is to be used to fire it. The result is not merely missing the target, but can be hazardous to the operator and others.This paper reports the results of a survey conducted in the Muda Irrigation Scheme in September 1985. The aim was to investigate ways to improve pesticide applications among rice farmers.