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