Sunday, July 21, 2019

Competitiveness, Foreign-Debt, Liquidity, GDP and the Fed...




Businesses are always run on the borrowed money that is why lower borrowing cost is very important for competitiveness and demand, it directly adds to the cost and prices, like transport prices which are the key costs for investment, it can reduce the cost of business investment...



It is unimaginable that imports are increasing due to lower domestic production and more competitive imports, due to lower borrowing cost from countries where capital cost is low... How domestic player could compete with foreign players?



Domestic lower prices through increased capital productivity could lower prices and increase demand... INDIAn businesses have been unable to compete with foreign companies... INDIA's low foreign debt and more expected inflows are likely to push domestic interest rates down…



And, the private companies could also borrow abroad like the Govt which could do the same; lower capital cost... and increase competitiveness and demand and growth expectations... Though hedging through derivatives would be important... Savings import could further facilitate interest rate transmission...



The government has tried to involve savings of Europe, Japan and US where interest rate are close to zero... which could lower borrowing cost in INDIA and increase supply or productivity and lower prices and increase real wages and incomes and demand and growth and expectations...



If the Govt borrows abroad in the domestic currency and/or hedge the currency risk and the interest rate risk it could help lower prices, especially the interest rate and increase productivity, capital, too and demand and growth expectations... means higher demand/supply {and growth (EXPECTATIONS)}...



And, by opening FDI in banking the Govt could further openup channels for foreign money flowing in, more inflows would make the rupee strong further reinforcing foreign capital inflows...



Nonetheless, the commitment for fiscal prudence has further lowered borrowing cost expectations for the private sector investment... The stock markets have been slow to recognise it... Moreover, Rs 100 Lakh-Crore infrastructure investment and boost to affordable housing through bank recap and liquidity assurance to NBFCs and HFCs are great cursor for investment demand spending...



The Govt has tried to double the size of the economy to $5 Trillion form currently $2.7 Trillion which also means that wages and incomes would also increase to double which would increase demand and growth... 


India Inc. thinks that liquidity is a major problem for the economy, but, RBI Gov thinks that there is adequate liquidity... To revive spending reviving earning expectations are important by cutting cost and prices to increase productivity, demand and price expectations... Lower prices increase demand and price expectations, overdemand and higher prices are common after lower prices and higher demand...



'The government had changed base year from 2004-05 to 2011-12 for prices or inflation which is responsible for a lower GDP deflator and higher real-GDP in the subsequent numbers... Nonetheless the Govt supplyside reforms have also kept inflation undercheck increasing real GDP by lowering interest rate… 



Though, there are claims that the economy has not completely bottomed out form the last interest rate hikecycle and still reflecting some slack amidst the renewed rate cut cycle... Changing base year has definitely increased real-GDP to some extent...'



INDIA's population growth rate, as in every other case, decides its potential growth rate which is 120 Crore/tenyear or 12% pertenyear, therefore to get everyone employed the economy must grow 8%, after accounting for the natural rate of unemployment at 4%, on an average basis... INDIA's potential growth rate is 8% and the economy should add 80 million jobs a year to achieve the potential growth rate... The growth in labourforce decides the potential growth rate...



A 2% inflation target (by the Fed) has lowered the economywide prices expectations below to an average of 2%... The policymakers have set a price increase of 2% on each product in CPI, including food and fuel, and whenever average inflation (CPI) reaches over 2% investors would start selling stocks/inventories, because of tightmoney by the Fed and lower demand and price expectations... which could further reinforce lower price and interest rate expectations and delay in demand and growth (expectations)...



Probably the Fed would like a fast recovery in the prices and growth by avoiding lower interest rate or interest price/cost expectations that could delay demand and growth, people would hold spending in expectation of lower cost/price... Either the Fed could reject market rate cut expectations to revive growth or it should deliver a rate cut soon to increase demand and price and growth and expectations...



Moreover, recovery could take 2 to 3 quarters... It(the Fed) and, everybodyelse would like a quick recovery to potential or full employment growth... The Fed could probably try to neutralize real interest rate at 0% that would bring balance in savings and investment and price and growth expectations... means 1.6% inflation and 1.6% interest rate... 1.6% interest rate is to compensate 1.6% loss due to inflation...



Incentivising or inducing the subjects/agents have been popular in Economics for a longtime, now... Actually, any economicpolicy either induces or deduces or disincentivises or incentivises the agents in the economy for a particular outcome...



We should probably cut glaciers to get fresh water and export; water could be costlier than oil in the future... Rain harvest is difficult, but snow harvest is easy, for water...




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