Rbi’s Debt Management and Monetary Policy Essay

I have shown you in class, using the IS-LM model, how the above deuce roles of the run batted in presents a conflict between the desired positions of the LM submit and therefore the equilibrium chase rate. Some of you have expressed interest in knowing more ab reveal this debate. Therefore here argon the two opposing points of judgement.For the executionOn this side of the debate is the governing which run ons an independent Debt Management Office (DMO) that is separate from the run batted in. The government has received support from the Report of the Internal Working Group on Debt Management which has pointed out three conflicts that arises from the present arrangement If the key beveling concern tries to be an strong debt manager, it would lean towards betraying bonds at high prices, i.e. keeping interest run low. This leads to an inflationary bias in monetary policy. Second if the Central Bank tries to do a good job of discharging its responsibility of selling bonds, it has an incentive to mandate that blasphemes hold a large amount of government paper. Third, if the Central Bank administers the operating systems for the government securities markets, as the rbi currently does, this creates other conflict, where the owner/ administrator of these systems is also a participant in the market.The Percy Mistry commissioning on Making Mumbai an International Financial Centre (IFC) recommended the setting up of an autonomous DMO by saying that looking ahead, a sound worldly concern acquire strategy for India would incorporate three elements. . . An independent Indian debt heed office operating either as an autonomous agency or under the Ministry of Finance that regularly auctioned a large quantum of INR denominated bonds in an IFC in Mumbai. The size of these auctions would be substantial by world standards and would enhance Mumbais stature as an IFC. The Raghuram Rajan committee on Financial Sector Reforms (A speed of light Small Steps) has argued against run batted in providing the investment banking assist to the government as this involves a conflict of interest, since the government would benefit from lower interest rates, which the RBI has rough control over.Investors in the bond market may also descry the sale of bonds by RBI to be informed by a sense of how interest rates will evolve in thefuture. Finally, the RBI is the regulator of banks. Banking supervision could be distorted by the desire to sell bonds at an attractive price. Media commentators have also supported the motion. soak up for font Ajay Shah written material in the Business measuring rod,Ila Patnaik writing in the Indian Express, Shruthi Jayaram writing in the Financial Express, S. Narayan writing in the Mint. Also overhear what the Stanford Universitys Policy Brief and the Bank for International Settlements feel about this issue.Against the motionPredictably the RBI is opposing the above views. See this Business Standard report which quo tes RBI Governor Dr Subbarao as saying that Only primeval banks have the requisite market pulse and instruments to aid in making contextual judgements which an independent debt agency, driven by narrow objectives, will not be able to do. The Governor further said that in order to achieve monetary and financial stability, separation of debt focusing from central bank seems to be a sub-optimal choice. The case for shifting debt management function out of the central bank is made on several arguments much(prenominal) as resolving conflict of interest, reducing the cost of debt, facilitating debt consolidation and increase transpargonncy. These advantages are overstated, Dr Subbarao said. He said market borrowings are the major spring of deficit financing at state level and such borrowings are exceeding the absorptive capacity of the market.That makes it imperative to harmonise the market borrowing programmes of the Centre and the states. Separation of the Centres debt management fr om the central bank will make such harmonisation difficult, Dr Subbarao added. He said correct internationally, there is closer association between the central bank with independent debt management for proper monetary policy and financial stability. Also see this Business Line report which quotes Dr Subbrao as saying that the learning from the late(a) global crisis is that those systems where central bank manages government debt are more effective. When financial deficit is as high as it is in India, it is not yet about debt management in the conventional sense. It has larger implications for liquidity management and monetary policy transmission.The balance of advantage would lie in the RBI continuing to manage public debt until fiscal deficit comes down to precise comfortable levels. RBIs internal researchsupports the above view by demonstrating that interest rates have not been affected by the governments borrowing programme (a point made by some of you in class). Some media commentators have also supported RBIs view (see this condition in the Economic Times). You will be amused to know that Dr Subbarao himself was an advocate of an independent DMO when he used to make up for the government The confusion over this issue was evidenced by the Rakesh Mohan perpetration on Indias Financial Sector Assessment which opined in opt of an independent DMO with the chairman (an ex-deputy governor of the RBI) disagreeing with the committees viewTailpieceThe RBI seems to have reconciled to the setting up of an independent DMO but is press that they be in charge of running the office (so much for independence) See this report from the Financial Express. Finally you may enjoy reading this article from the Economic Times on Chidambaram vs Subbarao How conflicts between govt and RBI could lead to emend policy-making.