Optimal central bank transparency

Should central banks increase their degree of transparency any further? We show that there is likely to be an optimal intermediate degree of central bank transparency. Up to this optimum more transparency is desirable: it improves the quality of private sector inflation forecasts. But beyond the optimum people might: (1) start to attach too much weight to the conditionality of their forecasts, and/or (2) get confused by the large and increasing amount of information they receive. This deteriorates the (perceived) quality of private sector inflation forecasts. As a result, inflation is set in a more backward looking manner resulting in higher inflation persistence. By using a large scale panel data set on the transparency of central banks we find empirical support for an optimal intermediate degree of transparency at which inflation persistence is minimized. Our results indicate that while several central banks would benefit from further transparency increases, some already have reached the optimal level.     

我国的通胀形成机制:成因述评及全球化的分析框架

当前,对我国通货膨胀的形成机制多有争议,虽然各种观点各有侧重,但均强调经济全球化带来的影响和冲击。基于此,本文立足于全球化的视角,构建了一个逻辑分析框架,并将我国的通货膨胀问题置于此框架下进行探讨,分别从国内外产出缺口、全球流动性、大宗商品价格、货币供应、资产价格、人民币汇率和要素价格重估等角度,对我国通胀形成因素做了一般性分析,并据此得出了一些结论和启示。     

后危机时代中国经济刺激政策的退出与经济发展方式转变

经济刺激政策的退出问题已引起世界各国决策者的重视。本文从经济刺激政策带来的财政负担、是否应退出的判断标准等进行了研究,并提出中国经济刺激政策不适合迅速发出退出信号,当前工作重点应是转变经济发展方式、调整经济结构、提高经济增长效率、保证经济增长的可持续性。     

Inversion copulas from nonlinear state space models with an application to inflation forecasting

We propose the construction of copulas through the inversion of nonlinear state space models. These copulas allow for new time series models that have the same serial dependence structure as a state space model, but with an arbitrary marginal distribution, and flexible density forecasts. We examine the time series properties of the copulas, outline serial dependence measures, and estimate the models using likelihood-based methods. Copulas constructed from three example state space models are considered: a stochastic volatility model with an unobserved component, a Markov switching autoregression, and a Gaussian linear unobserved component model. We show that all three inversion copulas with flexible margins improve the fit and density forecasts of quarterly U.S. broad inflation and electricity inflation.     

美联储“量化宽松”货币政策的原因、影响与启示

为应对全球金融危机,美联储实施了非常时期的量化宽松货币政策。本文对美联储实施该政策的原因、积极和消极影响进行了深入分析。同时,美联储未雨绸缪,提出该政策的退出机制,对我国今后一段时期如何在经济逐步启稳后把握恰当的时机和节奏实现适度宽松货币政策的及时转向,防范通货膨胀和资产泡沫风险具有非常重要的启示。     

汇率目标制、货币目标制和通货膨胀目标制的比较及其在我国的应用的探讨

汇率目标制、货币目标制在各自的经济背景下都起到了稳定一国通货、稳定汇率从而稳定一国物价总水平、促进经济增长的作用。起始于20世纪80年代末期,通货膨胀目标制代替汇率目标制、货币目标制成为许多国家追逐长期价格稳定的一种货币政策新框架,在取得长期价格稳定和金融稳定上具有更多优点和灵活性。我国金融开放条件下货币政策调控面临国内货币需求不稳定,内部、外部经济不平衡,金融不平衡等问题,在货币目标制和汇率目标制难以实现货币政策有效调控的情况下,建议应对我国的货币政策调控方式做出调整,采用通货膨胀目标制的货币政策框架。     

Cash transfers and high food prices: Explaining outcomes on Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme

An ongoing and highly politicised debate concerns the relative efficacy of cash transfers versus food aid. This paper aims to shed light on this debate, drawing on new empirical evidence from Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP). Our data derive from a two-wave panel survey conducted in 2006 and 2008. Ethiopia has experienced unprecedented rates of inflation since 2007, which have reduced the real purchasing power of PSNP cash payments. Our regression findings confirm that food transfers or ‘cash plus food’ packages are superior to cash transfers alone – they enable higher levels of income growth, livestock accumulation and self-reported food security. These results raise questions of fundamental importance to global humanitarian response and social protection policy. We draw out some implications for the design of social transfer programmes and describe some steps that could be taken to enable ‘predictable transfers to meet predictable needs’.     

“适当”的货币政策是否会引发新一轮通货膨胀

针对经济形势的变化,１９９８ 年下半年,１９９９ 年以来,中央银行采取“适当”的货币政策,以扩大内需,促进经济增长。在我国已经发生 过三次比较严重的通胀的 情况下,“适当”的货币政策是否会引发新一轮通货膨胀呢？ 本文从货币供应与 通货膨胀的一般关系着手 进行分析,并结合“适当”的货币政策产生的背景特征,得出在近期我国不会出现通货膨胀,但远期通胀压力仍存在的结论。     

开放条件下我国货币政策有效性的经验分析——基于目标实现与工具选择角度的评价

本文利用HP滤波、LSTVAR方法估算我国产出缺口、通胀缺口及货币政策变量的广义脉冲响应函数,以此研究我国货币政策在目标实现和工具选择等方面的有效性。研究结果表明,改革开放以来,我国货币政策的调控经历了急刹车、软着陆、防通缩和控温降速等阶段,政策调控缺乏预见性和提前量,政策工具的使用和力度把握不准确,政策有效性不容乐观;开放条件下,我国货币政策工具的混合使用使得政府很难掌握调控力度和节奏,政府以利率作为主要调控手段的做法不明智,应主要借助信贷、货币量调控。随着经验的积累,政策工具选择的侧重点越来越突出,微调特征日益明显,调控效率总体上有显著提升。最后,本文给出相关政策建议。     

Monetary policy and asset prices

The purpose of this paper is study the effect of monetary policy on asset prices. We study the properties of a monetary model in which a real asset is valued for its rate of return and for its liquidity. We show that money is essential if and only if real assets are scarce, in the precise sense that their supply is not sufficient to satisfy the demand for liquidity. Our model generates a clear connection between asset prices and monetary policy. When money grows at a higher rate, inflation is higher and the return on money decreases. In equilibrium, no arbitrage amounts to equating the real return of both objects. Therefore, the price of the asset increases in order to lower its real return. This negative relationship between inflation and asset returns is in the spirit of research in finance initiated in the early 1980s.