'Today financial markets are beyond the control of policymakers', says Sebi chief UK Sinha

Mumbai: Emphasising the need for better coordination among financial regulators globally, Sebi Chairman U K Sinha Tuesday said markets have gone beyond the control of policymakers post 2008 credit crisis. Addressing the BRICS bond markets summit here, Sinha said after the 2008 financial crisis, the unconventional policies that global central banks are following have created serious challenges and uncertainties in global bond markets.  The uncertainties have become so large that “today financial markets are beyond the control of national policymakers,” he opined. The Sebi chief noted that balance sheets of major banks like that of the US Fed, the European Central Bank, Bank of England and Bank of Japan, which have been following near-zero or even negative interest policies, have become too large. “These central banks have blown up their balance sheets by $7.2 trillion since the 2008 global credit crisis. There are also serious flaws in monetary transmission due to these unconventional policies. The broad money supply has increased by over $9 trillion, but the actual flow to the corporate sector is hardly $1.8 trillion,” Sinha said. Calling for better coordination between global regulators, Sinha said a good beginning can be started among the BRICS regulators and other policymakers. “BRICS should come together to share their experiences from bond markets and perhaps, also develop a BRICS bond market,” he said. Sinha also expressed concern over the prevailing negative interest rates in many of the large economies, saying they are also creating uncertainties in the market. On the undeclared currency wars, primarily led by China, he said competitive devaluation of currencies is also impacting the markets, especially those which are export-oriented.