IMPACT OF CURRENT ACCOUNT GAPS ON INFLATION IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The current study estimated the impact of current account gaps (CAGAP) on inflation in South Asian countries, namely, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Methodology: CAGAP is estimated through macroeconomic fundamentals by applying panel time series data methodology from 1990 to 2018. We adopted the bias-corrected least square dummy variable (LSDVC) estimation technique for the time series macro and dynamic panel to find the impact of CAGAP on inflation. Principal findings: CAGAP negatively affected consumer price inflation rate while Lag of inflation, trade openness, age dependency, and oil prices positively affected inflation rate in the selected sample countries. In LSDVC, the Blundell and Bond (BB), Arellano-Bond (AB), Anderson and Hsiao (AH) estimates are determined while system and difference GMM estimates also confirmed the results. Therefore, LSDVC-AB is selected from the three versions of LSDVC as baseline regression based on higher significance and lower standard error. Applications of the Study: CAGAP affects inflation, so it should be estimated annually in all these countries for macroeconomic stability as IMF annually estimates for developed countries in an external sector report. It is worthwhile to estimate CAN regularly and watch it for CAB evaluation and future Adjustment. Based on the results, the study recommends that tailored policies and interventions focus on the structural distortions and slow-changing factors to eradicate CAGAP. Novelty/ Originality of the Study: A few empirical studies have scrutinized the role of CAB on macroeconomic variables. No empirical study on CAGAP and its consequences are available in the selected region's existing literature to the best of our knowledge.