målpristarget

Målpristarget is a term used in Swedish-language economic and policy discussions to describe an explicit objective to anchor or guide market prices toward a predetermined level. It can refer to a target price for a specific good or service, or to a price-level target for the overall economy. The idea is for policymakers to define the desired price path, a time horizon, and a monitoring framework, and to deploy instruments that influence supply and demand to move actual prices toward the target.

In macroeconomics, the closest formal analogue is price-level targeting, in which a central bank aims to keep the price level on a specified trajectory over time, offsetting past deviations as needed. In sectoral policy, målpristarget can refer to programs that guarantee a minimum or fixed price for producers, such as agricultural price supports, electricity price schemes, or other public interventions designed to reduce price volatility and provide income certainty.

Advantages of målpristarget include reduced price volatility, improved planning for households and firms, and clearer expectations about future prices. Disadvantages include potential fiscal cost, market distortions, and the risk that targets become credible only if policymakers sustain their commitment. The feasibility of målpristarget depends on credible policy design and effective institutions. Related concepts include inflation targeting, price-level targeting, commodity price stabilization, and price controls.