The influence of external
factors on monetary policy
frameworks and operations
Over the past decade or so, economic and financial integration has reshaped the monetary
policy frameworks and transmission channels in the emerging market economies (EMEs).
Economic and financial linkages have become stronger, resulting in greater synchronisation
of business cycles across advanced and emerging market economies. This has led to the
faster transmission of shocks, especially through financial channels. Short-term and longterm
interest rates as well as asset prices in the EMEs have thus become much more
responsive to global financial conditions than 10 or 15 years ago.
Against this background, the 16th annual meeting of Deputy Governors from the major
emerging market economies, held at the BIS in Basel in February 2011, addressed the
question of how external factors had affected monetary policy in EMEs over the past few
years. The present volume brings together papers prepared for that meeting.
The discussion was organised around four broad topics: (i) international banks, new liquidity
rules and monetary policy in EMEs; (ii) exchange rates and monetary policy frameworks in
EMEs; (iii) the implications of foreign exchange market intervention for central bank balance
sheets; and (iv) additional supporting policies that central banks can use to address the
policy dilemmas from the influence of external factors. BIS staff prepared background papers
on these topics, and central banks contributed their own studies on different aspects of these
issues. These contributions are compiled in the chapters that follow this overview.
One of the main conclusions of the meeting, highlighted in the contribution by Subir Gokarn
and Bhupal Singh (Reserve Bank of India), was that financial globalisation has multiplied the
number of transmission channels and associated risks through which external factors
influence domestic economic and financial conditions in EMEs. This complicates the
assessment of the outlook for inflation and growth. It also introduces an additional dimension
– the evaluation of financial stability risks – to the objectives of central banks. Monetary
policy in EMEs has become much more complex as a result.
The remainder of this overview summarises the main findings of the papers in this volume
and the key points raised in discussions of Deputy Governors at the meeting in Basel.