Nigerian central bank faces short-term debt hazards

Significance Emefiele has vowed that the CBN will significantly increase financial inclusion, recapitalise banks and help the economy achieve double-digit growth over his second term. However, the significant amount of CBN bills in circulation, a key but costly component of the Bank’s recent exchange rate strategy, poses serious medium-term risks. Impacts The CBN's continued focus on exchange rate stability leaves limited space for reducing interest rates over the short term. Effective foreign currency yields of over 10% are appealing for portfolio investors, but a sudden naira slide would prompt major losses. Significant divestment by foreign portfolio investors may make the CBN resort to temporary capital controls to limit damage to the naira.

Significance A score below 100 indicates a pessimistic outlook -- the index has not exceeded 100 since March 2018. Increasingly frequent and heavy-handed interventions by the Turkish Central Bank (TCMB) to help shore up the lira have fuelled concerns in financial markets that Turkey is edging closer to full capital controls. Markets and credit rating agencies are particularly focused on Turkey’s dangerously low level of net foreign-exchange (FX) reserves, once short-term dollar borrowing is excluded. Impacts Renewed escalation of the trade conflict and continued dollar strength are turning inflows into EM bond and equity funds into outflows. Market expectations of a cut in US interest rates by the year-end will help mitigate recent marked declines in EM asset prices. The rise in the price of Brent crude since late 2018 will put pressure on major energy importers such as Turkey, fuelling inflation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 127 ◽  
pp. 7-25

On this occasion we have adopted a rather different format for this chapter from the customary one. Part One begins with an analysis of some of the most important developments of the past few years, with notes on the deterioration in the balance of payments, on the fall in the savings ratio and on the acceleration of inflation. Next we discuss some of the problems associated with economic forecasting. We analyse the errors made last year and compare them with the error margins normally associated with short-term forecasts of this kind. We look at the behaviour of the economy at the corresponding stage of previous economic cycles. And we consider the best way of forecasting GDP when there are discrepancies between the measures of its growth in the past. Our central forecasts for 1989 and 1990 are described briefly in the text of Part Two, and more fully set out in the usual tables. We end in Part Three with a discussion of alternative scenarios for the medium term, with particular reference to their implications for interest rates and the exchange rate. An appendix describes the regional pattern of unemployment and the way it has changed since the early 1980s.


Subject Sonangol priorities. Significance Early structural reforms by new President Joao Lourenco and more positive economic projections for 2018 suggest a potential uptick in Angola’s fiscal fortunes. Since assuming power in September, Lourenco has overhauled the leadership of state-owned oil company Sonangol and dismissed several prominent officials associated with his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Separately, Lourenco has moved to tackle the overvalued kwanza. While this will raise debt-servicing costs, this will be partly ameliorated by the recent oil price of over 60 dollars per barrel. Impacts Scrapping the dollar currency peg will help ease the foreign exchange crisis and end payment constraints in the aviation and oil sectors. A more realistic exchange rate will fuel inflation in the short term but will likely improve medium-term economic prospects. Urban support for the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) could decline further if reforms remain elite-focused.


Significance Now that Zeman has successfully retaken the presidency with 152,000 more votes than his pro-Western rival Jiri Drahos after a campaign that was dominated by domestic issues, attention will focus once again on forming a majority government after the largest parliamentary party, ANO 2011, lost a vote of confidence on January 16. Impacts Consumer confidence may strengthen in the short term as the old ANO-CSSD government’s policies take effect, providing an economic boost. Robust household consumption and public- and private-backed investment may also contribute to stronger GDP this year. Although monetary policy is set to tighten, in response to signs of overheating, interest rates will remain at historic lows. The outlook for the economy in the short term is upbeat, with a strong outturn expected for the fourth quarter of 2017. Structural reforms will be required over the medium term to reduce the risk of capacity constraints, especially in industry.


Significance Instead it ordered that all foreign exchange purchases should occur through commercial banks. This move aims to stabilise the value of the naira by reducing effective domestic demand for foreign currency. Impacts The CBN may allow commercial banks to provide forex to retail dealers as an alternative policy. The cost of imported goods and services will increase. A USD3.35bn IMF special drawing rights (SDR) allocation will bolster Nigeria’s short-term reserve position. Full exchange rate unification will not occur under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.


Significance It contains the federal budget and revenue legislation, as well as key macroeconomic domestic and international assumptions and projections, several of which look highly optimistic. Impacts Banxico will probably increase interest rates further due to relatively high inflation levels. Tight fiscal and monetary conditions will probably arrest short-term growth. The peso-dollar exchange rate should remain broadly stable as the fiscal accounts present manageable deficits in 2021-22. The current account is expected to show a small surplus during 2021 as a whole, and a marginal deficit next year. Legislators may raise the expected oil price for 2022 to boost spending in some areas without increasing the fiscal deficit target.


Subject Iceland‘s macroeconomic outlook. Significance Iceland at the turn of the year took several steps towards lifting its capital controls on households and businesses. The authorities had worried that this would create an outflow of capital, destabilising the economy through a weakened krona and rising inflation. However, positive economic conditions have reversed the problem at least in the short run, with the main worries being an even stronger krona which could threaten export and tourism industries. Impacts High expected GDP growth and interest rates might be tempting for foreign investors looking for short-term gains. Fresh elections are possible if the Independence Party fails to form a government. The largest challenge for Iceland will be to find long-term economic balance as a small economy outside the EU.


Subject Pressured naira. Significance The naira has depreciated by approximately 11% on the parallel market since the Saudi-Russia oil price war began, which dashed hopes of OPEC+ supply curbs to stem the price rout amid the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. This has hampered the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) ability to support the multiple exchange rate regime, prompting a sharp devaluation of the official exchange rate. Impacts The naira’s devaluation will accelerate rising inflationary pressures from the closure of Nigeria’s land borders last year. The CBN could impose damaging capital controls once more if the exchange rate falls further towards 500:1. With low funds in the oil savings fund, the authorities will likely limit their intervention against COVID-19 to soft loans from the CBN.


Significance Currency developments have proved surprisingly positive since the introduction of NAFEX in April, with a strong resurgence in foreign equity investments and increased central bank dollar sales driving naira appreciation in the short term. Impacts Naira appreciation could be sustained by a buoyant recovery in the non-oil sector and diversification reforms. Fiscal deficits that overshot year-end targets by 14% in June will deter foreign bond investors. Oil sector volatility will weigh on the naira; militant attacks shut-in 150,000 barrels per day in July. Full exchange rate liberalisation could depend on the successful commission of the Dangote oil refinery in 2019.


Author(s):  
Sebastián Fanelli ◽  
Ludwig Straub

Abstract We study a real small open economy with two key ingredients (1) partial segmentation of home and foreign bond markets and (2) a pecuniary externality that makes the real exchange rate excessively volatile in response to capital flows. Partial segmentation implies that, by intervening in the bond markets, the central bank can affect the exchange rate and the spread between home- and foreign-bond yields. Such interventions allow the central bank to address the pecuniary externality, but they are also costly, as foreigners make carry trade profits. We analytically characterize the optimal intervention policy that solves this trade-off: (1) the optimal policy leans against the wind, stabilizing the exchange rate; (2) it involves smooth spreads but allows exchange rates to jump; (3) it partly relies on “forward guidance,” with non-zero interventions even after the shock has subsided; (4) it requires credibility, in that central banks do not intervene without commitment. Finally, we shed light on the global consequences of widespread interventions, using a multi-country extension of our model. We find that, left to themselves, countries over-accumulate reserves, reducing welfare and leading to inefficiently low world interest rates.


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