Valentin Milinov
On the Characteristics and Evolution of Monetary Policy
Summary:
The study investigates the problems related to monetary policy within the process of its evolution and according to the development of the monetary policy theories and the stages of development of the economy and the monetary systems. The paper reviews the various levels of implementation of monetary policies and the possibilities for its influencing the economic process. The influence is effected through direct and indirect tools used by the national banks. For this end the banks set certain operative (short-term), interim, and final (long-term) objectives, the most important factor being the choice of adequate strategy of the monetary policy, i.e. the choice of „nominal anchor”. In this respect the study focuses on monetary targeting, inflation targeting, and currency exchange rate targeting. The experience of other countries is especially valuable for Bulgaria in the process of the country’s accession to the European Monetary Union. The study comes to the conclusion that in this respect the most important question is how the currency board shall be abandoned: (1) whether it must be preserved until the country’s accession to the European Monetary Union or (2) the peg of the Bulgarian lev to the Euro should be abandoned prior to the accession to the European Monetary Union.
