KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — Inflation in developing economies, including Malaysia and Indonesia, is likely to return to more normal readings at a pace akin to those of developed economies.
The readings might reflect the relatively heavy use of government subsidies to keep domestic prices low, thereby reducing inflation persistence, Moody’s Analytics (Moody’s) said in a research note today.
“Also, this pair (Malaysia and Indonesia) is rich in natural resources such as energy commodities (thermal coal, oil and gas) and mineral ores (aluminium, iron and nickel), which reduces their reliance on imports and the associated exposure to imported inflation.
“For instance, Indonesia applies so-called domestic market obligations on a majority of these commodities, requiring businesses to sell a portion of their produce domestically and at a discount to the market price,” it said.
It opined that higher inflation persistence in more developed economies such as Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea may be explained by their lack of natural resources, making them price-takers and more susceptible to imported inflation.
“Furthermore, these economies specialise in high-value-added industries such as high-tech manufacturing, which often use imported inputs to produce their finished goods.
“In Australia and New Zealand, central banks successfully used monetary policy to keep inflation within their target bands over the 20-year window, supported by government policies, which contributed to low inflation persistence in these economies,” it added.
— Bernama
