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Goldman Warns On Limits Of Central Bank Policy: “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions”

September 25, 2015

Goldman Warns On Limits Of Central Bank Policy: “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions”

Back in May, we noted that minutes from the ECB’s April 14-15 policy meeting seem to reveal that the central bank is either obtuse or else suffering from a frightening bout of willful ignorance. Here’s are the excerpts which led us to that assessment:

Since the Governing Council’s previous monetary policy meeting on 4-5 March 2015, the implementation of the ECB’s expanded asset purchase programme (APP) had had a significant impact on euro area financial markets, contributing to further declines in government bond yields.

A strong signal needed to be sent to euro area governments urging them to press ahead with structural reforms and to take measures to improve the business environment. Only with such complementary action could the full benefits of the monetary policy measures be reaped. 

Now obviously, implementing a €1.1 trillion program designed specifically to lower government borrowing costs is the exact opposite of sending a “strong signal” to policymakers regarding the absolute necessity of getting serious about fiscal rectitude. That is, if it does anything, PSPP discourages governments from reining in spending by artificially suppressing borrowing costs, which effectively robs the market of the ability to price government risk.

Well, as it turns out, even if the ECB doesn’t understand this, Mario Draghi’s former employer certainly does, because a new paper co-authored by Goldman’s Huw Pill and Alain Durre acknowledges the role central banks play in discouraging fiscal discipline. Here’s more from Bloomberg:

The unconventional monetary policies of central banks often face limits because they could end up hurting as well as helping economies.

That’s the warning of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists Huw Pill and Alain Durre in a paper prepared for the first annual MMF U.K. Monetary and Financial Policy Conference to be held in London on Friday.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

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