International Finance Discussion Papers (IFDP)
November 1987
Debt Conversions: Economic Issues for Heavily Indebted Developing Countries
Lewis S. Alexander
Abstract:
This paper is a general discussion of debt conversions in heavily indebted developing countries. The paper first describes the three different types of transactions that are commonly called debt conversions. Next the paper discusses programs that have been established in Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and the Philippines to facilitate these transactions. Then the different ways in which commercial banks can participate in these transactions and the volume of these transactions to date are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of a broad range of economic issues raised by these transactions, including: the effect of debt conversions on the structure of debtor countries' external liabilities, the incentives debt conversion programs provide for net new capital inflows, the macroeconomic effects of these transactions, and the new role for debt swaps programs in the so-called "menu-of-options" approach to restructuring developing countries' bank debts.
PDF: Full Paper
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