Alternative Approaches to Commercial Property Price Indexes for Tokyo

The paper studies the problems associated with the construction of price indexes for commercial properties that could be used in the System of National Accounts. Property price indexes are required for the stocks of commercial properties in the balance sheets and related price indexes for the land and structure components of a commercial property are required in the balance sheet accounts for the calculation of the Multifactor Productivity of the Commercial Property Industry. The paper uses a variant of the builder's model that has been used to construct Residential Property Price Indexes. Geometric depreciation rates are estimated for commercial offices in Tokyo using assessment data for REIT. The problems associated with the decomposition of property value into land and structure components are addressed. The problems associated with depreciating capital expenditures on buildings and with measuring the loss of asset value due to early retirement of the structure are also addressed.     

Productivity Shocks and Monetary Policy in a Two-Country Model

In this paper, we examine the effects of foreign productivity shocks on monetary policy in a symmetric open economy. Our two-country model incorporates the New Keynesian features of price stickiness and monopolistic competition based on the cost channel of Ravenna and Walsh (2006). In particular, in response to asymmetric productivity shocks, firms in one country achieve a more efficient level of production than those in another economy. Because the terms of trade are directly affected by changes in both economies’ output levels, international trade creates a transmission channel for inflation dynamics in which a deflationary spiral in foreign producer prices reduces domestic output. When there is a decline in economic activity, the monetary authority should react to this adverse situation by lowering the key interest rate. The impulse response function from the model shows that a productivity shock can cause a real depreciation of the exchange rate when economies are closely integrated through international trade.     

Commercial Buildings Capital Consumption and the United States National Accounts

Commercial buildings are a major asset class, over 30 percent of the value of the stock of all produced assets according to the BEA. Yet, US commercial buildings depreciation has not been comprehensively studied since the highly influential work of Hulten and Wykoff almost 40 years ago. This paper's major contributions include: (i) More flexible and precise estimation of the net depreciation value/age profile, allowing much finer characterization of the building life cycle; (ii) Explicit quantification of the land value component of commercial property value, enabling net depreciation to be quantified as a fraction of remaining structure value; (iii) Inclusion of capital improvement expenditures, allowing estimates of “gross depreciation” (total capital consumption); and (iv) Implications of the paper's findings to and for the national accounts.     

Alternative Land-Price Indexes for Commercial Properties in Tokyo

The System of National Accounts (SNA) requires separate estimates for the land and structure components of a commercial property. Using transactions data for the sales of office buildings in Tokyo, a hedonic regression model (the “builder’s model”) was estimated and this model generated an overall property price index as well as subindexes for the land and structure components of the office buildings. The builder’s model was also estimated using appraisal data on office building real estate investment trusts (REITs) for Tokyo. These hedonic regression models also generated estimates for net depreciation rates, which can be compared. Finally, the Japanese government constructs annual official land prices for commercial properties based on appraised values. The paper compares these official land prices with the land prices generated by the hedonic regression models based on transactions data and on REIT data. The results reveal that commercial property indexes based on appraisal and assessment prices lag behind the indexes based on transaction prices.     

价格型货币政策操作框架：利率走廊的 条件、机制与实现*

随着商业银行产权市场化水平的提高,以及金融创新的不断涌现,数量型货币政策操作框架的有效性开始下降。本文通过对商业银行行为的分析,基于其极大化经营利润的诉求,论证了利率走廊系统的运行条件及机制。研究认为,完善的制度安排、商业银行的市场主体地位、充分竞争的市场、高效的实时清算系统等是利率走廊系统发挥作用的基础条件;在利率走廊系统运行过程中,当货币市场被注入过多流动性时,其可能转化成地板系统;价格型货币政策操作框架能够实现分别进行资金价格调控与资金数量调控,从而使货币政策操作的针对性与有效性得到提高。由此论文从利率走廊系统的构建、中央银行的职责、商业银行的行为等方面,提出我国货币政策操作框架从数量型调控向价格型调控转型的路径。     

城市化、农地制度与迁移人口社会保障——一个转轨中发展的大国视角与政策选择

城市化过程中的流动人口,农村内部农地调整以及农用土地非农化问题是现阶段中国转轨与经济发展过程中面临的重大问题。这三方面问题具有非常紧密的关联,需要一个整体思路来进行分析,更需要在此基础上给出系统、具操作性的解决方案。本文在对这些问题及其政策关联性进行剖析的基础上,揭示了中国户籍制度与农地制度改革在一个大国的转轨与经济发展过程中的特殊性,并提出一个政策组合,试图在改革现有土地征用制度的同时,通过给予农民在土地和城镇社会保障之间的自由选择权建立起一种良性的城市化机制,从而实现户籍制度和农地制度改革的突破。     

COMPTABILITE NATIONALE A PRIX CONSTANTS ET A PRODUCTIVITE CONSTANTE

The problem of national accounting “at constant prices” is in fact a problem of comparability of time series, as changes in the price structure preclude any direct comparison of economic flows. If such accounts are established they will make it possible directly to compare the same flow at two different times in the economy as a whole, and this without leaving the influence of other flows out of account. This makes it possible both to synthesize and to undertake analytical comparisons. The accounts could then be used for the study of time series, for projections or for structural studies (e.g. the mechanisms underlying the changing pattern of income distrubution). The first part of this report sets out to study the main problems of compiling accounts at constant prices and to examine what conventions should be adopted. The second part of the report considers how productivity gains can be explicitly shown in the national accounts. The proposed study plan restores the symmetry between price and productivity. As in the accounts at constant prices, gap variables are introduced to measure productivity gains. These variables can be interpreted in terms of surplus; the concept of surplus used here, however, is not the one adopted for the accounts in constant prices, but its dual. Setting up an accounting system “at constant productivity” therefore makes it possible to complete the information provided by an accounting system “at constant prices.” These two systems can of course be integrated: this leads to the introduction of the concept of an accounting system “at constant prices and constant productivity.” Such an accounting system makes it possible to show, in the same accounting framework, the respective contributions of price changes and improved productivity to the gains realised by the different economic agents. It therefore gives a complete picture of “transfers” between the agents. At the same time, the data on price and productivity can be integrated with each other.     

Demand shocks and productivity growth

This paper presents evidence on the relationship between cyclical shocks and productivity growth, for 20 2-digit SIC US manufacturing industries and a set of monetary policy, fiscal policy, and oil price shocks. The paper uses as a measure of productivity change a Solow residual corrected for a wide range of non-technological effects due to imperfect-competition, non-constant returns to scale, and cyclical utilization rates of capital and labor services. The empirical framework identifies policy shocks independently of productivity measurement issues via a two-step procedure. While the typical industry shows weak responses of productivity to the shocks considered, in some industries temporary contractionary policy shocks lead to increases in productivity. In addition, the results reveal that there are localized asymmetries, with contractionary policy shocks having larger productivity effects than their expansionary counterparts. The results support the thesis that job reallocation is an important channel linking contractionary policy shocks and productivity growth. These results support the pit-stop view of downturns.Received: April 200, Accepted: March 2005, António Gomes de Menezes: I thank participants at seminars at Boston College, University of Alberta and Simon Fraser University and two anonymous referees for helpful comments.     

INFLATION TARGETING AND THE ECONOMY: LESSONS FROM CANADA'S FIRST DECADE

Inflation targeting has become the centerpiece of the monetary policy framework in a number of industrial countries and emerging economies. The first part of this article examines the Canadian experience with inflation targeting since its introduction in early 1991 and various issues that require resolution in establishing such a framework. It also examines the way inflation targets deal with demand, price, and productivity shocks. The second part focuses on Canada's economic performance during the 1990s. Factors other than monetary policy - most notably private sector restructuring and the fiscal situation in the first half of the decade - played an important role in the sluggishness of the recovery from the recession of 1990–91. Trend growth in Canada during the 1990s was lower than in earlier periods and than U.S. trend growth over the same period. The article examines the role of such factors as productivity growth and participation rates in explaining the differences. I conclude that a good monetary policy is necessary but not sufficient for good economic outcomes.     

Real Exchange Rate Trends and Growth: A Model of East Asia

In contrast to the Balassa–Samuelson hypothesis, many fast-growing Asian countries have experienced little trend real exchange rate appreciation, or even depreciation. Moreover, their long-run real exchange rate trend seems to be dominated by movements in traded goods prices. A model is developed which is consistent with these observations. As in the Balassa–Samuelson model, productivity growth is concentrated in the traded goods sector. Nevertheless the real exchange rate may exhibit trend depreciation, driven by persistent deviations in the price of traded goods from those in the reference country. The key feature of the model is the presence of endogenous productivity growth in the distribution services sector.     

商业银行信用风险与宏观经济——基于压力测试的研究

本文采用压力测试框架,研究了宏观经济波动对商业银行信用风险的影响。文章以不良贷款率度量信用风险,以名义GDP增长率、广义货币供应量（M2）增速、居民消费价格指数（CPI）以及房地产销售价格指数作为宏观经济变量,建立了合适的宏观压力测试模型。在GDP增速放缓、CPI上升、M2增速下降的压力情景下,预测了2011年第一季度到第四季度的不良贷款率的变化路径。实证结果表明在压力情景下商业银行的不良贷款率将会显著上升。     

非真实因素对通货膨胀的影响研究

通货膨胀是一种让消费者在心理和收入方面难以接受或承受的价格持续上涨现象,它反映物价上涨水平持续超过劳动力生产率和收入增长率的水平.通货膨胀是经济活动中真实因素和非真实因素共同作用的结果.治理通货膨胀的关键是优化货币信贷结构,增加基础经济部门的投入与供给,而不是简单地减少货币供给量.防止"滞胀"应成为当前中国宏观调控的中心任务.     

全球化背景下中国通货膨胀特征及化解

在全球化背景下对中国通货膨胀的产生及其对宏观经济的影响进行了剖析,认为中国通货膨胀产生的根源在于不合理的经济增长结构,其他诸如原油、粮食、矿产品价格的上涨以及美元贬值等因素对中国经济的影响不过是这一根本问题在全球化背景下所引发的连锁反应。因此,在全球经济陷入衰退的环境下,既要实现物价稳定又要避免经济衰退的根本途径在于调整不合理的经济增长结构,降低经济增长对出口和投资的依赖,使国内消费需求成为经济增长的主要推动力量。     

Why does the peso-dollar exchange rate show a depreciation trend? The role of productivity differentials

Over the last three decades, Mexico's macroeconomic policy has been driven by a sound orthodox strategy: an open economy via many trade agreements signed since the mid-1980s, a nominal exchange rate under a flexible regime since 1994, central bank autonomy, and responsible fiscal policy, among other benchmarks. Nevertheless, the exchange rate has continued on a path of depreciation against the US dollar. In this paper, we show that although an equilibrium relationship exists between the exchange rate and prices in Mexico and the US (its main commercial partner), there are other forces affecting the former. The main factor in this relentless long-term depreciation is the loss of productivity in Mexico relative to the US. In addition, we show that the extraordinary liquidity supplied by the US during the 2008 crisis caused the Mexican peso to appreciate against the dollar.     

PRIM I: A MODEL OF THE PRICE AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION MECHANISM OF AN OPEN ECONOMY

PRIM I is a numerical model which has been extensively used as a basis for an income policy in Norway in recent years. It is a static, cost-push, input-output model. Wage rates, agricultural prices, productivities and world market prices are treated as exogenous variables, and the model derives short-term changes in income shares and in the national price level from changes in these exogenous variables. A key feature of the model is a distinction between "exposed industries" which are subject to strong foreign price competition, and "sheltered industries" which are relatively free of such competition. These two groups of industries are found to react with very different pricing policies in response to increases in costs; furthermore, possibly for technological reasons, the export industries have greater scope than the majority of the sheltered industries for compensating cost increases through productivity gains. These two facts are shown to have important implications for a price and income policy. It is demonstrated, i.a. that the goal of a stable national price level is, in general, inconsistent with the maintenance of stable income shares when exchange rates are kept constant.     

Natural resource accounting

There is as yet no consensus on the most appropriate way to incorporate the degradation of environmental capital into national income accounting procedure. Net product is currently derived by deducting from gross product the depreciation of man-made capital only. Deducting depreciation of natural capital in a similar manner will give a figure for true net product that provides a better indicator of that level of current income which is sustainable into the future. The user cost and net price methods of calculating the value of natural resource depreciation are analysed and assessed. On the basis of this assessment, the net price method is then used to adjust the national accounts of Zimbabwe for depletion of forests, soils and mineral resources, for the period 1980 to 1989. The results suggest that economic depreciation of natural resources represents approximately 2% of annual GDP, although this is regarded as a significant underestimate. The implications for integrating natural resource depletion into policy making, within the current national political climate, are then addressed.     

我国资本市场效率的再检验

在股权分置改革的背景下,通过检验上市公司折旧政策选择与盈余反应系数之间的相关关系,从而对我国资本市场的效率做出实证检验。研究结果显示,盈余反应系数和折旧费率之间在股权分置改革之前的样本中并不存在显著的相关关系,表明资本市场存在着功能锁定现象,而在股权分置改革之后的样本中则存在着显著的正相关关系,表明资本市场能够在调整上市公司折旧政策横截面差异的基础上对其会计盈余做出定价。因此,我国的股权分置改革促进了资本市场的完善,从而有助于我们了解我国资本市场的效率变迁。     

提高商业银行竞争力:市场结构改革还是产权结构改革

近年来,在如何提升我国商业银行国际竞争能力这一问题上,逐渐形成两大主张:市场结构论和产权结构论.本文认为,这两种观点的前提、政策重点都存在一致性,因而完全可以双管齐下--在加快国有商业银行产权结构改革的同时,优化银行业市场结构,增强银行业市场的竞争性.市场结构改革和产权结构改革同等重要.在具体措施上,市场结构的改革重点应是在给予股份制商业银行"国民待遇"的同时,鼓励它们开展市场化的并购.     

Economic impact assessment of mega infrastructure pipeline projects

The economic development features for the decades after the Second World War provide evidence that investments to new infrastructures are a key driver in strengthening the national economy and enhancing nation’s productivity, as it creates economic benefits and additional income. However, the decision for fund allocation and investments in mega infrastructure pipeline projects often must be made in conditions that are much more fraught with uncertainty. The key question in such decisions is if the economic impact caused by the new project could be able to essentially boost the economy by creating new jobs and generating new income on one hand; and which are the business sectors expected to archive the benefits of this investment. This article deals with the estimation of the mega infrastructure pipeline project economic effects in economy. The methodological framework is based on input–output approach providing quantitative estimations about the economic impact of the project in terms of new income and jobs. The numerical application deals with the assessment of a cross-border crude oil pipeline project, connecting the ports of Burgas (Bulgaria) and Alexandroupolis (Greece), establishing a new transportation corridor for the crude oil from Black Sea to Southeast Mediterranean.     

人民币汇率双向波动对中国及世界经济的影响--基于单一国家和多国的动态 CGE 模型

随着人民币国际化进程的加快,人民币汇率波动的国际效应进一步加强。文章分别建立了单一国家和多国的动态 CGE 模型,基于最新的全球贸易分析计划(GTAP )数据库和中国2012年投入产出表,分别模拟了2016－2030年人民币持续贬值和先贬值后升值的两种情景,并从物价水平、国际贸易、经济总量、行业产出等多个方面分析了人民币汇率变动对中国及世界主要经济体的影响。研究发现：(1)在价格指数方面,人民币贬值将给中国带来一定的通货膨胀压力;(2)在贸易方面,人民币贬值只能在短期内扩大中国的净出口,但在远期反而会导致净出口下降;(3)在经济总量方面,人民币贬值只在开始阶段的短期内能促进中国经济增长,而长期贬值将导致中国经济增长速度放缓;(4)在产业结构方面,中国的农业和工业在贬值情景下的产量呈现先升后降的趋势,而服务业的产量持续下降。总之,两种情景均不利于中国经济的长远发展;相反,东盟、日本和美国等世界主要经济体将从中长期受益。因此,中国政府应当制定若干针对性的政策措施,加强预期管理,实施差别化的外贸政策,加强多方合作,积极应对国际汇率波动带来的风险。