Inflation,interest rates,and the balance of payments during a financial reform: The case of Argentina

In order to evaluate the impact of recent financial reforms on the Argentine economy, this paper presents the results of estimating a small, monthly structural model of the Argentine economy which emphasizes the linkages between the financial system, inflation and the balance of payments. The results are used to examine the portfolio interest rate elasticities of both the financial and non-financial sectors, the determinants of the real levels of and spread between the loan and deposit interest rates, and the responsiveness of inflation and the balance of payments to various policy measures.