01995cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF004692 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781451865905 1018-5941 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. Italy-Assessing Competition and Efficiency in the Banking System. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2007. 1 online resource (42 pages) IMF Working Papers <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students The paper assesses the degree of banking competition and efficiency in Italy?over time as well as compared to that in other countries, such as France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The paper finds competition in the Italian banking sector has intensified in loan and deposit markets in recent years, but banks still operate in a highcost, high-income system, particularly with respect to retail/services, and efficiency gains have yet to fully materialize. The degree of competition falls within the range of estimates for a set of comparator countries. Greater contestability should act as a powerful force to drive banks to become more competitive and efficient. Competition policy will also continue to be an important consideration, both in enforcing Italy's antitrust laws and in ensuring that the procedures for dealing with weak banks and other merger and acquisition reviews focus on stability and competition objectives. Mode of access: Internet IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 2007/026 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2007/026/001.2007.issue-026-en.xml IMF e-Library