A healthy banking sector is crucial for economic growth because banks and other parts of the financial system play a key role in determining how savings are allocated among competing projects and users of credit. If households and businesses cannot get credit on reasonable terms, then the economy sputters. To underline this point, the Fed and Treasury did not intervene during the recent crisis to save the financial system (and with it, some big financial firms) for its own sake. We intervened because a collapse of the financial system would have done irreparable harm to Main Street. With the limited tools at hand, we made our choices (often between unattractive options) with the goal of supporting the economy, households and small businesses. A well-functioning financial system is also crucial in fostering economic development. History shows that substantial risks to the economy come from a persistently weak banking sector. Economists have debated whether healthy banks drive real economic growth, or vice-versa, but a wealth of recent evidence suggests that the causality runs at least partly from banks to growth, and not just the other way around. So, from my perspective, getting Puerto Rico’s banking system back onto solid footing is “job one” for supporting growth here. Preparing Puerto Rico to benefit from recovery in the world economy Of course, that isn’t the whole story. Growth may also be impeded by factors that are specific to particular regions or policies.
To improve our understanding of the Puerto Rican economy, the New York Fed has joined a group of local businesses – including some represented here – to sponsor and fund a household survey, undertaken by the Center for the New Economy, our hosts today, to benchmark Puerto Rican consumer finances. As of today, the data have been collected and Fed economists are collaborating with the CNE to provide technical assistance, to make the results of this study public and to make these data available for further research. To help businesses and government in Puerto Rico, we have also been providing technical assistance to Puerto Rico’s new Institute for Statistics. We recognize the importance of this work and applaud its efforts to improve Puerto Rico’s inflation measures, national income accounting and business activity measures, just to name a few. All of these activities, from monetary policy and financial regulation to fostering community development and economic literacy and measurement, complement and reinforce each other. Our policy actions are most effective when people understand how financial markets work. Our decisions are always better when we are well informed about the concerns of families and businesses. Thus, outreach to the region and communities we serve is an important part of my job. Thank you for your kind attention. I would be happy to take a few questions. 6  BIS Review 18/2010