Some empirical research has suggested that inflation is more persistent under floating exchange rates. Theoretically, we should expect a higher variance of inflation persistence across countries under floating rates, but not necessarily a higher mean. It is shown that estimates of inflation...

Some empirical research has suggested that inflation is more persistent under floating exchange rates. Theoretically, we should expect a higher variance of inflation persistence across countries under floating rates, but not necessarily a higher mean. It is shown that estimates of inflation...

Recent research has highlighted the role that the government budget constraint plays in determining the consumer price level. According to the fiscal approach to price determination, prices adjust so that the discounted value of future real government primary surpluses equals the current real...

Recent research has highlighted the role that the government budget constraint plays in determining the consumer price level. According to the fiscal approach to price determination, prices adjust so that the discounted value of future real government primary surpluses equals the current real...

During the 1990s a number of African central banks succeeded in bringing inflation to relatively low levels while maintaining a market-determined exchange rate. These central banks were generally reluctant to fully subordinate exchange rate targets to monetary targets, however, particularly in...

This paper develops a methodology to construct detailed indices of financial sector development across countries and uses it to create a new panel database of finan-cial sector development in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. It combines existing quantitative data with information...

This essay reflects the thoughts and experience of two staff members. Mark Allen has been a resident representative in both Poland (1990-93) and Hungary (1996-1998), two countries that have moved well along the road of transformation. Rick Haas was the resident representative in Belarus...

This paper uses vector autoregressions to examine the monetary transmission mechanism in Japan. The empirical results indicate that both monetary policy and bank's balance sheets are important sources of shocks, that banks play a crucial role in transmitting monetary shocks to economic activity,...

This paper develops a methodology to construct detailed indices of financial sector development across countries and uses it to create a new panel database of finan-cial sector development in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. It combines existing quantitative data with information...

This paper uses vector autoregressions to examine the monetary transmission mechanism in Japan. The empirical results indicate that both monetary policy and banksí balance sheets are important sources of shocks, that banks play a crucial role in transmitting monetary shocks to economic...