Financial Market Deepening

1 Month ago, i was moved to a new department which mostly deal with the local currency (rupiah). Its a very interesting step taken by the leaders to put jobs and things in order. So now the new department deals with rupiah as well as foreign currencies management. And what interest me is that the new direction is to forego financial deepening in the domestic financial market.

What is financial deepening? what measures can be used? what indicators to be followed? Big question mark... I took a look at some literatures that discuss about financial deepening: Levine, Ross: Financial Development and Economic Growth: An Agenda, Oct 1996; Tsetsokos, George and Varangis, Panos: The Structure of Derivatives Exchanges: Lessons from Developed and Emerging Markets, Dec 1997; and many others, and apparently they have different measurements to measure financial deepening.

As you all probably know that, Indonesian financial market is hardly deep. Forex market turnover reach only just $4 billion per day, slightly below that of Philippines ($5 bio). Bonds market has only been full of government bonds, money market and repo market are also thin market, not to mention the repo. The stock market is also 100% outright transactions, and no options and derivatives yet. Stock market is full of speculative transactions and have already been overvalue since the beginning of this year... small buyer or seller can move the market..

Financial market deepening is big steps with big moves, and needs everyone to take parts in this program..