2 Inflation targeting literature review
Inflation targeting policy focuses on the inflation rate and started in
New Zealand in 1990. Now, inflation targeting is a policy adopted by 9
industrial countries and 19 emerging countries. Prior to this new policy,
central banks used to focus on intermediate targets such as monetary aggregates. Applying this policy is consistent with the major goal of monetary policy, which is to achieve price stability and enhance economic
growth. Moreover, this policy is a clear sign from the central bank that it
is combating the inflation rate.
The technical steps of how to set up a price-targeting framework are
simple and easy. First, the economic team, i.e. monetary and fiscal authorities set-up and announce the appropriate inflation rate for the economy.
Second, the monetary authority monitors the actual inflation rate and sets
some forecasts. Third, the monetary authority adjusts monetary policy to
reduce the gap between the forecast and the target. Horvath and Mateju
(2011) found that higher levels of inflation and higher variability of inflation are associated with higher inflation targeting. Moreover, they found a
negative relationship between central bank credibility and inflation targeting. The great recession of 2007-2008 has opened a new challenge facing
inflation targeters in the form of a trade-off between controlling the
inflation rate or limiting economic contraction.
The debate in developed and developing countries regarding inflation
targeting is very dissimilar. In developed countries the argument is about
does inflation targeting make a difference? Economists in these countries
seek evidence to prove that macroeconomic performance is better under
inflation targeting. However, in developing countries, economists explore
the applicability of inflation targeting.