This study investigates the relationship between consumer search costs, inflation, and firm markups in retail trade by employing actual measures of consumer search cost gathered by way of an online consumer survey. Consistent with theory, results indicate that markups can be higher if consumer search costs are higher. Results from panel data also show that increases in inflation lead to increas...

Modern theories of inflation incorporate a vertical long-run Phillips curve and are usually estimated using techniques that ignore the non-stationary behaviour of inflation. Consequently, the estimates obtained are imprecise and are unable to distinguish between competing models of inflation and test the veracity of a vertical long-run Phillips curve. We estimate a Phillips curve model taking i...

Inflation is regarded as one of the most chronic problems in Pakistan and the recent surge of inflation (10.8) in consumer price index is a matter of serious concern in the economy [1]. Inflation imposes high cost on economies and societies; disproportionately hurts the poor and fixed income groups, creates uncertainty throughout the economy and undermines macroeconomic stability. It also resul...

A multilateral currency union removes the intraregional exchange rates but not the union rate variability with the rest of the world. The intraregional exchange rate variability is thus latent. A two-step procedure is developed to measure the variability. The measured variables are used to model inflation and intraregional trade growth of individual union members. The resulting models form the ...

The paper investigated the effect of investment promotion (IP) on foreign direct investment flow (FDI) into Ghana. Cointegration among the variables was established using auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) models in the presence of a mix of I (0) and I (1) variables. The control variables, inflation and trade openness were statistically significant in the short run. Whilst inflation exerted...

The main objective of this study is to examine the empirical relationship between inflation and economic growth in Bangladesh for the time period 1976 to 2011. In this study we use Vector Auto-regression (VAR) methodology to investigate the linkage between inflation and economic growth; trade openness and economic growth; and remittances and economic growth in Bangladesh. The major findings of ...

This paper develops a dynamic general-equilibrium (DGE) model of a small open economy to investigate alternative monetary rules, differing primarily in the degree to which they allow for exchange rate flexibility. A central argument of the paper is that the nature of the trade-off between fixed and floating exchange rates may be quite different in mature industrial economies than in emerging-ma...

This paper examines the theory of the Phillips curve, focusing on the distinction between “formation” of inflation expectations and “incorporation” of inflation expectations. Phillips curve theory has largely focused on the former. Explaining the Phillips curve by reference to expectation formation keeps Phillips curve theory in the policy orbit of natural rate thinking where there is no welfar...

Using a small macroeconometric model that examines the determinants of India’s trade and inflation, this paper addresses the effects of a reform policy package similar to those implemented in 1991. Policy simulations using dynamic simulation method compare the responses to devaluation with the responses to tight credit policy. It is shown that the trade balance effects of tight credit policy ar...