This paper explores the influence of trader (or cambio) market power in determining the foreign exchange market bid-ask spread. In particular, it presents a theoretical model that incorporates the notion of oligopolistic power into the foreign exchange market. The econometric analysis...

This paper examines the monetary policy framework of Guyana. Guyana’s monetary Policy is motivated by the IMF’s financial programming model. The quantity of excess reserves in the banking system is seen as critical in determining bank credit and ultimately the external balance and...

This paper examines why commercial banks in Guyana demand non-remunerated excess reserves, a phenomenon that became even more widespread after financial liberalisation. Despite the removal of capital controls, banks do not invest all excess reserves in a safe foreign asset because the central...

The paper shows how democratic elections in a bi-communal society with entrenched ethnic voting results in an elected oligarchy in which elites of one ethnic group control the allocation of scarce economic resources. Using a simple strategic game, the paper shows that the control of resources...

Previous studies have documented the tendency for the commercial banking sector of many developing economies to be highly liquid and be characterised by a persistently high interest rate spread. This paper embeds these stylised facts in an oligopoly model of the banking firm. The paper derives...

This study proposes the idea that Guyana’s present government can be categorized as an elected oligarchy. It highlights the existence of several binding constraints (or structural bottlenecks) and demonstrates how these constraints are exacerbated by the elected oligarchy to impair the...

This paper notes that a high sterilization coefficient plus a de facto pegged exchange rate indicates the existence of dual nominal anchors. The econometric evidence presented shows that several Caribbean economies with fixed exchange rate regimes also possess high sterilization coefficients....

Most studies of the liquidity trap emphasize the zero bound benchmark policy rate. This paper integrates a non-zero lower bound lending rate and the traditional zero bound policy rate in a dynamic structural macroeconomic model that takes into consideration aggregate bank liquidity preference as...

Starting in 2004 the Guyanese foreign exchange rate has been remarkably stable relative to earlier periods. This paper explores the reasons for the stability of the rate. First, the degree of concentration in the foreign exchange market has increased, thus making the task of moral suasion...

This policy note tries to understand the slow job recovery in the United States as the economy exists a recession. We show that the time-varying Okun coefficient has declined since the early 1990s, thus being consistent with the observation of jobless growth. This finding contrasts with other...