Concept of Inflation Essay Example

Concept of Inflation Essay Example Concept of Inflation Essay Concept of Inflation Essay What is causing Inflation? Inflation is the rise in prices which occurs when the demand for goods and services exceeds their available supply. In simpler terms, inflation is a situation where too much money chases too few goods. In India, the wholesale price index (WPI), which was the main measure of the inflation rate consisted of three main components primary articles, which included food articles, constituting 22% of the index; fuel, constituting 14% of the index; and manufactured goods, which accounted for the remaining 64% of the index. For purposes of analysis and to measure more accurately the price levels for different sections of society and as well for different regions, the RBI also kept track of consumer price indices. The average annual GDP growth in the 2000s was about 6% and during the second quarter (July- September) of fiscal 2006-2007, the growth rate was as high as 9. 2%. All this growth was bound to lead to higher demand for goods. However, the growth in the supply of goods, especially food articles such as wheat and pulses, did not keep pace with the growth in demand. As a result, the prices of food articles increased. According to Subir Gokarn, Executive Director and Chief Economist, CRISIL, The inflationary pressures have been particularly acute this time due to supply side constraints [of food articles] which are a combination of temporary and structural factors. Measures Taken In late 2006 and early 2007, the RBI announced some measures to control inflation. These measures included increasing repo rates, the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and reducing the rate of interest on cash deposited by banks with the RBI. With the increase in the repo rates and bank rates, banks had to pay a higher interest rate for the money they borrowed from the RBI. Consequently, the banks increased the rate at which they lent to their customers. The increase in the CRR reduced the money supply in the system because banks now had to keep more money as reserves. On December 08, 2006, the RBI again increased the CRR by 50 basis points to 5. 5%. On January 31, 2007, the RBI increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7. 5% Some Perspectives The RBIs and the governments response to the inflation witnessed in 2006-07 was said to be based on traditional anti-inflation measures. However, some economists argued that the steps taken by the government to control inflation were not enough Outlook Several analysts were of the view that the RBI could have handled the 2006-07 inflation without tinkering with the interest rates, which according to them could slow down economic growth. Others believed that high inflation was often seen by investors as a sign of economic mismanagement and sustained high inflation would affect investor confidence in the economy. However, the inflation rate in emerging economies was usually higher than developed economies Knowing Inflation†¦ By inflation one generally means rise in prices. To be more correct inflation is persistent rise in the general price level rather than a once-for-all rise in it, while deflation is persistent falling price. A situation is described as inflationary when either the prices or the supply of money are rising, but in practice both will rise together. These days economies of all countries whether underdeveloped, developing as well developed suffers from inflation. Inflation or persistent rising prices are major problem today in world. Because of many reasons, first, the rate of inflation these years are much high than experienced earlier periods. Second, Inflation in these years coexists with high rate of unemployment, which is a new phenomenon and made it difficult to control inflation. An inflationary situation is where there is too much money chasing too few goods. As products/services are scarce in relation to the money available in the hands of buyers, prices of the products/services rise to adjust for the larger quantum of money chasing them. As someone once said, Inflation is when you pay Rs. 15 for a Rs. 10 haircut you used to get for Rs. 5 when you had hair. Inflation in Indian Context†¦ Inflation is no stranger to the Indian economy. The Indian economy has been registering stupendous growth after the liberalization of Indian economy. In fact, till the early nineties Indians were used to ignore inflation. But, since the mid-nineties controlling inflation has become a priority. The natural fallout of this has been that we, as a nation, have become virtually intolerant to inflation. The opening up of the Indian economy in the early 1990s had increased Indias industrial output and consequently has raised the India Inflation Rate. While inflation was primarily caused by domestic factors (supply usually was unable to meet demand, resulting in the classical definition of inflation of too much money chasing too few goods), today the situation has changed significantly. Inflation today is caused more by global rather than by domestic factors. Naturally, as the Indian economy undergoes structural changes, the causes of domestic inflation too have undergone tectonic changes. The main cause of rise in the rate of inflation rate in India is the pricing disparity of agricultural products between the producer and consumers in the Indian market. Moreover, the sky- rocketing of prices of food products, manufacturing products, and essential commodities have also catapulted the inflation rate in India. Furthermore, the unstable international crude oil prices have worsened the situation. Defining causes of Inflation†¦ What exactly is the nature of this inflation which has the nation in its grip? The different causes of inflation which are experienced in Indian economy in a large proportion would be:- Demand-pull inflation: This is basically when the aggregate demand in an economy exceeds the aggregate supply. It is also defined as `too much money chasing too few goods. Bare-boned, it means that a country is capable of producing only 100 items but the demand is for 105 items. Its a very simple demand-supply issue. The more demand there is, the costlier it becomes. Much the same as the way real estate in the country is rising. Cost-push inflation: This is caused when there is a supply shock. This represents the condition where, even though there is no increase in Aggregate Demand, prices may still rise. I. e. non availability of a commodity would lead to increase in prices. This may happen if the costs of especially wage cost rise. Imported Inflation: This is inflation due to increases in the prices of imports. Increases in the prices of imported final products directly affect any expenditure-based measure of inflation. They play an important role in driving the rise in domestic prices. The rise in the global prices of crude oil and agricultural commodities, including food grains, and industrial products, and setbacks to global economy resulting from sub-prime mortgage disaster and US recession have contributed to India’s inflation. Other Causes: ?When the government of a country print money in excess, prices increase to keep up with the increase in currency, leading to inflation. ?Increase in production and labor costs, have a direct impact on the price of the final product, resulting in inflation. ?When countries borrow money, they have to cope with the interest burden. This interest burden results in inflation. ?High taxes on consumer products, can also lead to inflation. An increase in indirect taxes can also lead to increased production costs. ?Inflation can artificially be created through a circular increase in wage earners demands and then the subsequent increase in producer costs which will drive up the prices of their goods and services. This will then translate back into higher prices for the wage earners or consumers. As demands go higher from each side, inflation will continue to rise. ?Debt, war and other issues that cause a drastic financial blunder can also cause the inflation.