COVID-19 and the Finance Sector in Asia and the Pacific

This guidance note examines the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on real economies, particularly financial sectors, and the measures taken to ease the impact. It notes risks to financial stability, such as an anticipated rise in nonperforming assets. It also reviews short-term actions that can mitigate pressures on people, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), banking and capital markets, and insurance and pensions. Lastly, it provides medium-term policy considerations for resilience in the post- COVID-19 period. These include establishing a framework for epidemic risk financing, buttressing financial stability and macroprudential measures, developing insurance markets for risk sharing and transfer solutions, improving SME financing, and fostering digital transformation in the finance sector.