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Uncertainty about the length of the monetary policy transmission lag: implications for monetary policy

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This paper examines implications for monetary policy of uncertainty about the length of the monetary policy transmission lag in a stochastic environment. Two key questions are asked. Firstly, which type of inflation-forecast-based rules work well when the central bank does not know the length of the monetary policy transmission lag? The results show that rules that are less aggressive and more forward looking are more robust. That is, the performance of these rules are least affected by lag uncertainty. However, it is still the case that relatively more aggressive and less forward looking rules will produce lower inflation variability. With any inflation forecasting model, policymakers must take a view on how quickly their actions impact on inflation. There will always be a significant degree of uncertainty surrounding this transmission lag such that a central bank is unlikely to get this right all the time. The second question asks, is it better to overestimate or underestimate this transmission lag? When the lag is overestimated (underestimated), the central bank behaves as if inflation is harder (easier) to control than it really is. The results show that a strategy of overestimating is superior to underestimating the lag. In fact, it may be even be a preferred strategy to knowing the true lag.

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  • Yuong Ha, 2000. "Uncertainty about the length of the monetary policy transmission lag: implications for monetary policy," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series DP2000/01, Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
    • Handle: RePEc:nzb:nzbdps:2000/01
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    Cited by:

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    2. By Alexander W. Hoffmaister, 2001. "Inflation Targeting in Korea: An Empirical Exploration," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 48(2), pages 1-5.
    3. Paul Conway, 2000. "Monetary policy in an uncertain world," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, vol. 63, September.
    4. Mota, Paulo R. & Fernandes, Abel L.C., 2022. "Is the ECB already following albeit implicitly an average inflation targeting strategy?," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 149-162.
    5. Marc-Alexandre Sénégas, 2002. "La politique monétaire face à l'incertitude : un survol méthodologique des contributions relatives à la zone euro," Revue d'Économie Financière, Programme National Persée, vol. 65(1), pages 177-200.
    6. L Christopher Plantier & Dean Scrimgeour, 2002. "Estimating a Taylor Rule for New Zealand with a time-varying neutral real rate," Reserve Bank of New Zealand Discussion Paper Series DP2002/06, Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
    7. Paulo R. Mota & Abel L. C. Fernandes, 2019. "The Dynamic Adjustment Of Central Banks’ Target Interest Rate: The Case Of The Ecb," FEP Working Papers 613, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

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    JEL classification:

    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General

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