In the wake of monetary integration in Europe, Austria abandoned the tested hard currency policy (HCP) for joining EMU as a member. The final target of monetary policy and real sector adjustment needs are similar in both regimes, and the HCP may therefore be viewed as a convenient, "training...

This paper proposes a quantitative assessment of the welfare effects arising from the Common Monetary Area (CMA) and an array of broader grouping among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Model simulations suggest that (i) participating in the CMA benefits all members; (ii)...

We analyze the similarities and the differences in the fragility of the European Monetary System (EMS) and the Eurozone. We test the hypothesis that in the EMS the fragility arose from the absence of a credible lender of last resort in the foreign exchange markets while in the Eurozone it was...

This paper assesses the suitability and constraints of having a unified currency in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) according to the optimum currency area theory and by analyzing the result of symmetry shocks of macroeconomic variables. The paper concludes that although there are...

Looking ahead to the creation of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Currency Union in 2010, the paper covers some implications for the statistical programs of the GCC countries. Despite uncertainty over the structure of the proposed union, the paper envisions several types of mutually reinforcing...

The Brexit issue has caused much concern regarding the future economic scenario of Europe in particular and the world in general. There are several reasons for Brexit. One of them is that the very nature of Monetary Unions is its rigidity. The 'one size fits all' yardstick won't apply to many...

The concept of political and economic integration has not progressed beyond the concept of a Nation-state. The primary reason is the trust deficit among citizens in a supra-national entity. We can use Blockchain systems-which are trustless networks-to resolve this issue. We can float a Regional...

The desirability of fiscal constraints in monetary unions depends critically on whether the monetary authority can commit to follow its policies. If it can commit, then debt constraints can only impose costs. If it cannot commit, then fiscal policy has a free-rider problem, and debt constraints...

Twenty years of euro history confirms the euro's stability and position as the second global currency. It also enjoys the support of majority of the euro area population and is seen as a good thing for the European Union. The European Central Bank has been successful in keeping inflation at a...

This paper studies monetary regime choice between monetary union and flexible exchange rate regime in a large open economy framework. The classical approach emphasizes that monetary unions are inherently costly because a single interest rate cannot respond effectively to different shocks of...