Imported Inflation and the Wage-Price Nexus in Poland

Abstract

Quantitative analysis is an appropriate tool to disentangle the impact of various recent shocks on price inflation in Poland. This article presents an econometric macro-model of prices and wages in which the direct impact of supply shocks transmitted from energy commodity markets on inflation is highlighted, and the impact of these shocks on the wage-price nexus. Due to the secrecy of data on the prices and volumes of natural gas imports from Russia to Poland, we propose a method for estimating the natural gas import deflator based on data on other main energy resources (crude oil and coal). The model allows us to assess to what extent domestic prices (CPI) depend on trends in world markets, including energy commodity prices. It is also possible to estimate the impact of fiscal policy on price developments. The equations of the model are constructed using cointegration methods for disaggregated consumer and import price indices. The properties of the system of 19 equations are investigated using multiplier analysis. We present the results of a simulation in which no anti-crisis measures were assumed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The obtained results indicate the important role of fiscal policy in shaping prices.

Keywords

• wage-price nexus
• econometric
• macro-model
• cointegration analysis
• fiscal policy
• simulation