This paper studies the implication, in terms of welfare and monetary policy, of unequal degrees of competition across members of a currency area. We look at two ways in which the degree of competition in the market for goods can affect welfare in a currency area. One is through different average...

We estimate monetary policy rules for six central and eastern European countries (CEEC) by taking changes in the policy settings explicitly into account. Distinguishing rather fixed and more flexible exchange rate arrangements we find that for most countries exchange rates played an important...

This paper examines the impact of the U.S. monetary policy on the Subprime mortgage crisis using a modified taylor rule. The main finding is that during the pre-crisis period the short term rate deviated significantly from the estimated taylor rate. This deviation may have been a cause of the...

In diesem Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, dass sich die Geldpolitik der Deutschen Bundesbank im Zeitraum 1991 bis 1998 gut mit Hilfe einer so genannten vorausschauenden Taylor-Regel beschreiben lässt. Die Deutsche Bundesbank stabilisierte in den 90er Jahren sowohl die Inflation als auch die...

This paper asks why modern finance theory and the efficient market hypothesis have failed to explain long-term carry trades; persistent asset bubbles or zero lower bounds; and financial crises. It extends Godley and Lavoie (Monetary Economics: An Integrated Approach to Credit, Money, Income,...

В статье исследуются основные показатели неустойчивости экономики Республики Беларусь в условиях мирового финансового кризиса. Приводятся показатели...

The Selected Issue Paper discusses the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) balance sheet risks and policy implications. Despite increased profit allocations, SNB capital has not kept pace with its growing balance sheet. The paper also explores the empirical determinants of pressures on the Swiss...

This 2012 Article IV Consultation focuses on the financial sector and macroeconomic situation in Vietnam. The authorities adopted a stabilization package in February 2011 in response to increasing pressures on prices and the exchange rate in late 2010. Executive Directors commended the...

Switzerland was hard hit by the global crisis; however, the 1.5 percent contraction in 2009 compares favorably with most industrial countries. This 2010 Article IV Consultation highlights that after a year-long decline in real GDP, the economy exited the recession in mid-2009. In response to the...

This paper focuses on Lebanon’s performance under the program supported by emergency post-conflict assistance. The end-March quantitative target on international reserves was met with a wide margin. While the primary balance target was also met, the program ceiling on net government...