Monetary And Financial Policies In Developing Countries

The issue of economic development and monetary stability has produced one of the most passionate debates in economic literature. Yet, much of the evidence employed in this debate is contradictory. Monetary and Financial Policies in Developing Countries: Growth and Stabilization brings together diverse views on the subject within a coherent framework. The work includes: * a balanced assessment of empirical findings and their theoretical foundations on the role of money and growth * a discussion of financial liberalization reform in developing countries * an analysis of monetary policy as an instrument of economic stabilization * an examination of the monetary supply and demand process in developing countries * a study of the relationship between money, credit, the balance of payments, inflation and the exchange rate system * a reflection on market failures and the role of government.

The book gives a broad coverage of the monetary policy issues in Low Financial Development Countries (LFDCs). These low and lower middle income countries are characterized by a predominance of bank finance, shallow financial markets, low financial inclusion, weak integration with world capital markets and a high degree of informality in economic activity. Monetary policy acquires special twists, making it different in many aspects from the policies followed in advanced and emerging market economies. The book covers the main facets of monetary policy making, using an approach that combines the discussion of theoretical arguments, of results from empirical studies and of policy experiences relevant for LFDCs. The book presents the monetary policy instruments they use and assesses the specificities of their monetary transmission mechanism. It evaluates the advantages, drawbacks and challenges of the different nominal anchors they may choose from: exchange rate targeting, monetary targeting and inflation targeting. This discussion is set against the background of the three main goals pursued by central banks: price, output and financial stability. Particular attention is devoted to the issue of the credibility of central banks and to the trade-offs they face when external shocks, to which these countries are very vulnerable, lead to conflicts among the three goals they pursue. The book also covers more specific topics, such as the challenges raised by fiscal dominance and by dollarization, the implications of informal labor markets and of microfinance institutions for monetary policy-making and the role of models for forecasting and policy evaluation.

Consideration on the use of fiscal and monetary policies in less developed countries to overcome the three sets of obstacles to development largely because of socio-political constraints. The three major obstacles to development are: inadequate investment; misallocation of investment resources; and internal and external imbalance i.e. inflation and balance of payments deficits.

Developing countries now use monetary policy as part of their adjustment programmes but its targets, the tools, and the theory were developed for advanced countries. Low income countries do not have the sophisticated financial sectors that rich ones can assume, and the shocks and size of adjustment which they face may be much greater. Using six country studies, with special analysis of the roles of the external sector and the informal financial sector, this book analyses the interaction among monetary policy, the financial sector, and development.

Money and Monetary Policy in Less Developed Countries: A Survey of Issues and Evidence focuses on monetary policy, the financial intermediation process, and the role of money in economic development in less developed countries (LDCs). Topics covered include financial development and economic growth in underdeveloped countries; instruments and techniques used in the implementation of monetary policy: and econometric policy models. This book is comprised of 46 chapters and begins with a discussion on the main lines of thought in the field of money and monetary policy in LDCs, with emphasis on the significant empirical results. The reader is then introduced to the role of money in the development process; production and monetization in the subsistence sector; some aspects of financial policies and central banking in developing countries; and the efficacy of monetary rules for LDCs. The subsequent chapters explore monetary policy instruments such as interest rates, credit controls, and exchange rates; credit policy and the balance of payments in developing countries; and price and output behavior in the Indian economy from 1951 to 1973. A semiannual macroeconometric model of the Philippines for the period 1967-1976 is also described. This monograph will be a valuable resource for economists, economic policymakers, and central bankers as well as students.

The COVID-19 crisis has fractured the pre-existing structural rigidities and institutional fragilities in the economies of developing countries more than ever, necessitating a rethinking of fiscal and monetary policies, the main vehicles for relief, recovery and reconstruction. This book examines the barriers to transformation in developing countries in the wake of the pandemic and analyses the paths to recovery based on an economic policymaking agenda. It juxtaposes fiscal and monetary policies and state-building from pre- and post-colonial periods to the present-day context. It employs an interdisciplinary approach and ventures beyond the well-rehearsed tendency to explain the state of developing countries by considering the experiences of advanced economies. The book utilises data on three levels: the aggregate level using world data, the single-country context with case studies and a cross-country assessment for comparative analysis. Further, the book critically assesses the relevance of different schools of thought and provides nuanced, thought-provoking theoretical apparatuses applicable to developing countries, as well as allowing the reader to undertake a country-specific analysis through the detailed historical country case studies undertaken in each chapter. Each chapter has a detailed and separate theoretical and empirical section for the ease of understanding of the key propositions in the book. The book will find an audience among scholars and researchers alike, who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the formulation of fiscal and monetary policies, specifically in developing countries. For policymakers and policy advocates, the book will serve as the groundwork for monetary and fiscal policies in the context of developing countries, providing more relevant instruments for transformational pathways.