Stabilisation and Rebalancing with Fiscal or Monetary Devaluation : A Model-Based Comparison

The paper uses a small open economy general equilibrium model to compare fiscal and nominal exchange rate devaluation with respect to their impact on economic activity and the current account. In particular, it investigates to which extent fiscal devaluation mimics nominal exchange rate adjustment and mitigates the output loss associated with demand rebalancing and external adjustment. The results suggest that internal or external devaluation can support external adjustment and mitigate its impact on economic activity, without leading to lasting adjustment themselves. The quantitative contribution of a tax shift from labour to consumption as standard example of fiscal devaluation remains moderate, however