The effect of monetary policy shocks on industrial output in Afghanistan

Purpose- This study examines the impact of monetary policy shocks on industrial output in Afghanistan. Quarterly secondary data were collected for the period from 2003 to 2021 from various official sources such as the Statistical Bulletin of the Central Bank of Afghanistan, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Methodology- This study used a three-stage procedure. The first stage involved testing the stability of the variables to be included in the model. The second stage involves selecting the optimal lag length using various lag length criteria. Finally, the Vector Error Correction (VECM) model was used to determine if there were any short-run correlations or dynamics among the variables. The study also conducted some post-tests to confirm the validity and robustness of the regression model. Findings- The results of the long-run vector error correction model show that there is a long-run causality running from monetary policy rate, broad money supply, inflation, exchange rate, and a commercial bank loan to the industrial sector. So, there was a speed of adjustment from the short-run to the long-run equilibrium. However, the Wald test confirmed that the short-run causality runs from the explanatory variables to the dependent variable. Commercial bank credit to the industrial sector was found to cause a change in industrial production in all six lag periods. The results were further supported by the Granger causality test. Shocks in commercial bank lending to the industrial sector were found to have no significant effect on industrial output. However, the performance of the industrial sector was the main cause of the flow of commercial banks' credit to the industrial sector. Conclusion- The study recommends that monetary policy should proceed with extreme caution in managing the exchange rate. The study also recommends that the Central Bank of Afghanistan should encourage commercial banks to offer credit to the industrial sector at low-interest rates. Keywords: Monetary policy shocks, industrial output, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), Granger Causality Test, Afghanistan. JEL Codes: E52, E32, L60