Ireland tasc 1114

Public Banking: Models and Possibilities Ellen Brown, JD Public Banking Institute TASC, Dublin, Ireland November 10, 2014

Globally, nearly 40% of banks are publicly-owned.

Mainly in the BRIC countries, which escaped the credit crisis.

The largest banks globally are stateowned, including -• The two largest banks by market capitalization (ICBC and China Construction Bank) • The largest bank by deposits (Japan Post Bank) • The largest bank by number of branches (State Bank of India) • The largest development bank (China Development Bank).

• The world’s seven safest banks are also publicly-owned, leading with KfW, Germany’s public development bank.

“Economic miracles” occur in countries with strong public banking sectors.

• China • Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong • Post-war Germany and Japan • Brazil, Costa Rica

China: global leader in rapid development

Korea: “Korea’s progress is as if Haiti had turned into Switzerland.”

• So says Ha-Joon Chang in “Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism” • Per capita income increased 14-fold in 40 years, something the U.S. took 11/2 centuries to do.

• How? “The government owned all the banks, so it could direct the life blood of business – credit.”

How public banks help to create economic miracles 1. Bypass the private financial middlemen draining off 30-40% of national profits.

2. Counter-cyclical lending, aimed at

sectors most in need.

3. Cut out interest: government owns the bank, so save 35-40% on the cost of public projects.

Drinking Water Cost of interest on capital 38%

Rent in Public Housing Cost of interest on capital 77%

Garbage Collection Fees Cost of interest on capital 12%

From Margrit Kennedy, http://www.monneta.org/upload/pdf/Pres_MK_CompC.pdf

Interest doubles infrastructure costs Bay Bridge retrofit: principal, $6 billion; interest, $6 billion.

Bullet train: principal, $9.95 billion; interest, $9.5 billion

The German Sparkassen Model – Focus on real economy Germany: Local businesses (esp. SME) are financed by local banks:

Cooperative Banks and Sparkassen

Sparkassen have a 42% market share of business financing 70% market share in SME finance

Sustainability – Professionalism – Public Welfare

Sparkassen and Company Loans – No Signs of a Credit Crunch Market Shares for Loans to Companies and Self-Employed* in %, 2012

New loan commitments of Savings Banks to companies and Self-employed, in billion â‚Ź, change in % 75

27,5 42,1

14,0 16,4

* Without

Rest of the banking sector (other 50 commercial banks, foreign banks, KfW etc.)

4 largest commercial banks 25 Cooperative banks Sparkassen-Group

+9.4 58.9

+5.5 62.1

+3.4 64.2

2008

2009

2010

+3.8 66.7

+4.8 69.9

2011

2012

0

commercial housing

Source: Bankenstatistik Deutsche Bundesbank and own calculations Stand 31.12.2012

* Including residential construction; excluding other financial intermediaries and insurance corporations, source: Deutsche Bundesbank

The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland – a great fit

Another model: The Bank of North Dakota, the only US state-owned depository bank.

• ND also has: • the nation’s lowest unemployment rate • one of the lowest foreclosure rates • lowest default rate • only state to escape the 2008 credit crisis

How it works: • • • •

Depository for all state revenues.

DBA of the state.

Capitalized with a bond issue.

Doesn’t compete but partners with local banks to increase local lending.

• Reduced banking costs: no bonuses, fees, commissions; no advertising; no branches.

• Dividends and cheap credit lines replace rainy day funds.

The BND: profitable, safe, sustainable • • • • • •

Pays a dividend of $30M/year (pop. 672,000).

ROE 2008 of 17-26%.

Competitive interest on state deposits.

Low-interest loans for local projects.

Underwrites municipal bonds.

Mandate to serve the public interest.

The U.S. public banking movement -- 20 states have introduced bills.

Banking crises are making public banks more popular.

• Safer for depositors.

• Countercyclical lending allows sustained growth.

• Less corrupt, more efficient, more profitable.

For more information – PublicBankingInstitute.org WebofDebt.com EllenBrown.com