BIS: Global Economy “Vastly Worse” Than In GFC

The latest report from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) – the central bank to the central banks – warns that the global financial system is in a “vastly worse” position than 3 years ago.

From the Associated Press:

An organization bringing together the world’s major central banks warned Monday that the global economy risks a replay of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, with massive public debt in Europe and the United States replacing the private debt that fueled the credit crunch two years ago.

“A shock of virtually any size risks a replay of the events we saw in late 2008 and early 2009,” the Basel, Switzerland-based organization said in its 206-page annual report.

In a stark warning to governments to clean up their finances, the central bankers noted that “macroeconomic policy is in a vastly worse position than it was three years ago, with little capacity to combat a new crisis.”

The report recommended winding down stimulus packages, raising interest rates in the long term and forcing through reforms of the financial system to prevent sudden shocks from causing market-wide collapse as they did two years ago.

Tags: BIS, debt and deficit, debt bubble, GFC, greek debt crisis, interest rates, sovereign debt, sovereign default, stimulus spending