Journal of Money & Economy
Volume:17 Issue: 3, Summer 2022

This study investigates the effect of Exchange Rate Pass-Through (ERPT) on the price of imported medical goods in Iran by utilizing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) method. The obtained results showed that the coefficient of positive and negative exchange rate fluctuations, in the long term, is less than one unit. In the long term, the price of imported medical goods is also affected by the positive fluctuations of domestic production. With positive fluctuations in domestic production and rising incomes, the demand for imported medical goods tends to increase, leading to higher prices for imported medical goods. Negative fluctuations in the degree of economic openness have negative effects on the price of imported medical goods. Eventually, the effect of the positive and negative fluctuations of trading partners' final cost variables on the price index of imported medical goods is positive. Given the increase in the exchange rate and the subsequent devaluation of the national currency, the increase in the price of imports, and, consequently, the cost of imported inputs, the increase in import prices can be one of the causes of domestic inflation.

Maintaining financial stability has always been one of the most important economic aims. The literature related to financial stability shows the effect of variables like financial development and financial liberalization on financial instability. However, some conflicting results have been reported about the direction of this impact. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of various factors on financial instability with an emphasis on the variables of financial development and financial liberalization in developing countries. The financial instability index calculated by the PCA approach and annual observations from 2005 to 2019 is employed. The research model is estimated using the System-GMM. The results indicate that financial development in developing countries has a positive effect on financial instability and exacerbates it due to the lack of correspondence between the goals of policymakers and the realities of financial markets in such countries. Moreover, the positive impact of financial liberalization on financial instability is obtained representing that following fiscal policies implemented in countries with developed financial markets is not working in developing countries. Thus, financial decision-makers in these countries must adopt stabilization policies in accordance with the characteristics of their financial markets. In addition, the results confirm the negative impact of the government size on financial stability in developing countries, emphasizing the reduction of government presence and the development of the private sector in these markets.

This research aims to explore the innovative and varied deposit products offered by Woori, one of the largest banks in Korea, to provide practical solutions for other financial institutions. The study employs a qualitative research methodology, utilizing in-depth interviews with Woori Bank officials and customers to identify the different types of deposits offered by the bank and the factors that attract customers to each product. The results of the study reveal that Woori Bank offers various types of deposits, such as youth savings accounts, foreign currency deposits, and customized deposits for specific professions. Each product is designed to meet the unique needs and preferences of different customer segments, including students, expatriates, and professionals. In addition, the findings suggest that Woori Bank's approach to deposit products is customer-centric and innovative, providing valuable insights for other financial institutions looking to attract and retain customers through differentiated deposit products. The study concludes with practical recommendations for other banks.

This paper shows the inability of standard search and matching model to replicate labor market volatility in a selected developing country and especially in Iran's economy. To do this, we present empirical evidence on the cyclical behavior of the labor market variables in the selected developing countries. We then build, parameterize, and simulate the standard search and matching model and compare the simulated statistics to the data. The results indicate how those models fail in replicating the stylized facts concerning the unemployment and job vacancy volatilities following a standard productive shock. Likewise, the model is unable to generate as much volatility on the market tightness as in the data. Also, the search and matching model cannot explain the observed volatilities in unemployment and job vacancy in Iran's labor market in response to the labor productivity shock, and the calibrated model is able to explain less than 0.25 percent of the observed volatilities in the market tightness. This suggests a need to explore alternative sources of shocks and frictions in labor market of Iran. In general, one could contemplate augmenting the search and matching model with features such as wage flexibility, price stickiness, endogenous job separation under different types of shocks along with some developing countries-specific features.  All in all, this paper contributes essentially to the literature on empirical investigation of the business cycle properties of labor market variables within a search and matching prototype for selected developing economies. The inability of search and matching model to predict fluctuations in the labor market variables in Iran's economy and developing countries have not been quantitatively investigated so far, and this paper is the first quantitative work in this field.

The central bank is the most important economic institution of any country, and for this reason, the efficiency of this institution is of particular importance. Study on the efficiency of the Central Bank of Iran is an inevitable necessity due to the instability of prices and significant non-performing loans in the banking system. In this study, first, efficiency of the Central Bank of Iran along with 15 different countries was calculated by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The input variables for calculating the efficiency of the central bank contain fixed assets and personnel and administrative cost. The output variables include monetary policy and banking supervision, which banking supervision includes financial and banking freedom and the ratio of non-performing loans. Then factors affecting the efficiency of the Central Bank of Iran between the years 2012 to 2018 were analyzed by using the system dynamics modeling method. In the first step, the causal loop diagrams (CLD) and the stock-flow diagram (SFD) of factors affecting efficiency in Central Bank of Iran were drawn were drawn. Then model validation tests were performed. Finally, different scenarios were investigated. The results of this study showed that the Central Bank of Iran in 2012-2018 is one of the most inefficient central banks among the 16 studied countries and is a long way from the three countries on the efficiency frontier like South Korea, Canada, and Australia. Central bank Independence and the significant amount of non-performing loans of the banking system are the main reasons for the inefficiency of the central bank of Iran. By applying different scenarios to improve the efficiency of the Central Bank, it was concluded that the most important effective factors to improve the efficiency of the Central Bank of Iran are monitoring the banking system along with preventing the increase of government debt with the independence of the Central Bank.

This study examined organized crime, and corruption, and determined if they can affect growth in the regional integration known as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Organized crime and corruption can have a grossly negative impact on the economic growth process of every system, but the extent of damage they have needs to be measured to determine the policy implications for the region. Paired with a sizeable and well-connected diaspora community, traffickers have established themselves in most parts of the world and provide networks farther afield. Organized criminal groups infiltrate governments, businesses, and political and economic systems. They undermine the effectiveness of these systems, sometimes through corruption and violence. Enough effort must be given to understanding the impact of organized crime on governance in West Africa. The research is a panel study of 11 countries in the ECOWAS region. A number of corruption, organized crimes and, growth theories were reviewed in the process. The study employs the random-effects model with the pooled OLS to control (FGLS) known also as the random-effects model with the pooled OLS as a control on the defined objectives. Results show among others that organized crime and corruption have a significant impact on economic growth, whereas, corruption significantly reduces economic growth. The study concludes that organized crime has significantly impacted economic development. Part of the policy implications and recommendations is that Domestic investment significantly contributes to economic growth and should be greatly encouraged as it increases production, and job creation and reduces dependency ratio and poverty.