Energy market dynamics and the role of fiscal policy in oil‐exporting countries: a TVAR approach

Abstract

AbstractWhile realising the macroeconomic significance of oil price fluctuations, this research examines the role of fiscal policy under changing dynamics of energy market for selected oil‐exporting countries. We specify a non‐linear threshold structural vector autoregression model which constitutes policy variables such as general government expenditures and primary fiscal balance and macroeconomic indicators such as real GDP growth and the inflation rate. To capture the energy market dynamics, this research selects Brent crude oil price as threshold variable and segregates the sample period 1991‐2019 as ‘high’ and ‘low’ oil price regimes. While using non‐linear generalised impulse response functions, we find that under higher oil price regime, an increase in government expenditures and reduction in fiscal deficit have larger multiplier effect to enhance output growth in most of the sampled countries. In addition, this research identifies larger inflationary effects of an increase in government expenditures and fiscal deficit under higher oil price regime for all countries except Canada. However, under a higher oil price regime, a fiscal deficit induced output growth, and under a lower oil price regime, a reduction in government expenditure brings inflation in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this research provides an alternative measure of threshold crude oil price for the sampled countries to their accounting‐based concept of fiscal break‐even price.