Costly investment decisions require improved population forecasts - NZIER Insight 47
August 25, 2014
Investing wisely today for the New Zealand of tomorrow requires a detailed understanding of how many people there will be and where we will work and live. Billions of dollars of infrastructure spending are at stake. Yet past estimates of New Zealand's population, on which these invest … Read more
The Bank of England's new approach to mortgage restrictions better targeted than LVR policy - NZIER Insight 46
July 2, 2014
Just last week Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, tightened the rules on mortgage lending in the United Kingdom. Now loans set at more than 4.5 times income can make up only 15 percent of new mortgage lending. We like this approach to financial stability because it dire … Read more
Time to revise the TWI to reflect modern New Zealand's export profile - NZIER Insight 45
February 24, 2014
People are worried about the damage the strengthening exchange rate might be doing to the export sector, but the headline exchange rate measures don't capture burgeoning emerging market trade. Read more
Migrants increase our incomes - NZIER Insight 44
February 10, 2014
A new Insight from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) shows that increasing net migration would lift incomes not just for immigrants but for the native population. An additional 40,000 people a year for 10 years increases GDP per capita by a chunky $410 a year. "A … Read more
NZ petrol prices reflect input costs not gouging - NZIER Insight 43
August 6, 2013
Often motorists complain that petrol companies are quick to raise petrol prices at the pump but then conspire to drop prices slowly when international oil prices fall. Like in any efficient market, changes in the cost of oil - both up and down - should be passed on to consumers rapidl … Read more
Should a board set interest rates? Not if it compromises monetary policy objectives - NZIER Insight 42
June 24, 2013
The Greens' idea to use the Reserve Bank Board to make monetary policy might improve decision-making but using a board designed to represent industry, risks compromising the Reserve Bank's independence and the goals of monetary policy. Read more
NZ is no Greece or Italy, but needs to face up to long term issues - NZIER Insight 41
March 22, 2013
Like much of the world, New Zealand's economy is still feeling the lingering consequences of the global financial crisis and the hang-over of its own asset price bubble. The economy is recovering slowly. In the last few years, households have spent cautiously and paid down mortgages. … Read more
The host with the most? Rethinking the costs and benefits of hosting major events - NZIER Insight 40
October 30, 2012
Hosting large events like the Rugby World Cup are expensive undertakings. That makes value-for-money evaluation critical. But most impact event analysis doesn't stack up, missing displacement effects. It means benefits are often far smaller than people think. Read more
Use macro-prudential tools to improve inflation targeting - NZIER Insight 39
September 6, 2012
Before Graeme Wheeler starts his new job as Governor of the Reserve Bank, he must sign a new Policy Targets Agreement (PTA) that sets the goalposts for monetary policy. This is an opportunity to introduce macro-prudential tools to help ease the exchange rate impact of inflation target … Read more
Regional economic integration : more than one way to skin a cat - NZIER Insight 38
August 2, 2012
Recent angst about trade agreements challenging domestic regulatory power distracts from an undeniable truth: the international implications of domestic regulatory settings have never been more important for New Zealand businesses. Rather than fighting it, New Zealand policymakers and … Read more