The Financial and Banking Sector Practice provides specialized expertise, advisory support and technical assistance to central banks and other governmental bodies as well as expert analysis of financial policy environment and risks to private sector decision makers. The Practice draws on the full resources of the Centennial Group under the leadership of Mr. V. Sundararajan (Bio.). For work in Latin America and the Caribbean, CGLA's experts provide the regional, country, and local institutional knowledge to complement the internationally-recognized financial sector expertise of the Centennial Group.

CGLA offers clients the following products:

• Advice on central banking policies, including monetary and exchange policy and operations (e.g. inflation targeting, monetary union issues, development of market based instruments, etc.), institutional development (central bank restructuring and modernization), payment settlement systems, central bank accounting and auditing;
• Development of financial stability analysis capabilities at central banks and supervisory agencies;
• Advice and technical assistance in development of domestic capital markets and contractual saving institutions (pension systems, insurance, collective investment vehicles etc.);
• Advice and technical assistance in financial sector governance issues, including transparency, accounting and disclosure, and institutional structures (e.g., demutualization, unification of supervision) for effective governance;
• Advice and technical assistance in accessing foreign finance, including capital account opening and the related financial policy sequencing issues;
• Analysis of regulatory and institutional developments and its impact on the private sector, and assessments of financial policy environment and financial system risks and vulnerabilities in key countries to support private sector decision making. And
• Independent and authoritative assessments, including assisted self assessments, and pre-assessments of the observance of international standards, codes, guidelines and best practices in financial sector supervision;

The Principals of the Centennial Group have extensive experience in the design of assessment methodologies and analysis of financial system stability and development issues, and in conducting assessments and implementing reforms and restructuring programs in over 60 industrial, emerging markets, and developing countries. Centennial Group coordinated the preparation of the World Bank's and the IMF's Financial Sector Assessment Handbook.