Regulation of Deposit Interest Rates in Hong Kong

Author(s):  
M. Leonov

In 1960s, the regulation of deposit interest rate was introduced to maintain stability of the banking system in Hong Kong. Local regulatory mechanism was characterized by direct involvement of banks into determination of the maximum level of interest rates. As deposit rates might be fixed at below market equilibrium level, banks were unbounded to earn rents at the expense of undrawn interest payments to depositors. Unlike to people in other countries, the depositors in Hong Kong had limited access to alternative investment opportunities like mutual funds or deposit institutions. As long as retail deposits were accounted for a significant share of borrowed funds, Hong Kong Association of Banks developed some incentives to discipline banks: in particular, if bank offered deposits with above the maximum permissible rate, it could be excluded from the national clearing and settlement infrastructure. The binding level of rates led to the emergence of new financial products (swap-deposits and NOW accounts) because banks tried to retain dissatisfied customers. To avoid the negative consequences of rate regulation on industry competition and allocation of financial resources within the economy, Hong Kong Monetary Authority took decision to liberalize deposit rates using gradual reform approach in the mid-1990s – early 2000s. The deregulation caused the significant reduction of gap between deposit and market rates and that evidence gave support to the idea of restrictive nature of regulation regime in Hong Kong. At the time of increasing competition in the deposit market, banks were able to increase operating efficiency and maintain profitability. The main benefits were obtained by banks with risky business model that attracted retail deposits to increase the scope of activity. Deposit rate liberalization helped to improve the efficiency of the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. As banks more actively responded to the market situation by adjusting interest rates, the monetary policy actions increased influence on the investment and savings behavior of economic agents. Finally, intensified interest rate competition among banks resulted into the growth of depositors’ welfare, contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of Hong Kong.

Author(s):  
John Goddard ◽  
John O. S. Wilson

In most countries, the central bank manages the country’s money supply and interest rates. Most central banks hold a monopoly over printing the national currency and have supervisory or regulatory responsibilities for overseeing the banking industry. The central bank typically performs a dual role, operating as the government’s banker, and as banker to the rest of the banking system. ‘The central bank and the conduct of monetary policy’ explains the central bank’s role and describes the central banks of the UK, EU, and US, as well as the International Monetary Fund. It also outlines the central bank’s responsibility for implementing monetary policy and explains the deposit expansion multiplier, interest rate targeting, and quantitative easing.


Author(s):  
هيثم الجنابي ◽  
نجوى كاظم

The interest price is one of the important tools of monetary policy to affect the financial and economic variables, including cash and pledge credit, with the aim of activating the economic movement in the country. The Central Bank followed a policy of reducing the base interest price until it reached 4.33% in 2016, but this decrease didn't lead to the energizing of cash and pledging credit in a way that leads to the productive sector's advancement, as the Iraqi economy is a rentier economy and oil revenues have acquired a large proportion of the domestic income of Iraq. Also, individuals hoarding their money away from the banking system have made the interest price lose its role in influencing at the credit extant. The research aims to measure the effect of basic interest price changes on the extant of cash and credit through descriptive and standard analysis for the period (2004-2016). The research is based on the hypothesis that weakness of the correlation and significant impact between interest prices and the extant of cash and pledge credit led to weakness the credit of both types in stimulating investment. The research reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which is the existence of a weak relationship and there is no statistically significant effect of the independent variable (interest price) on the dependent variable (cash and pledge credit) and there is an inverse relationship between them, which is consistent with economic theory. The research concluded with a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the activation of the interest price role as one of the monetary policy tools to influence cash and pledge credit, and commercial banks must coordinate and cooperate with the Central Bank of Iraq to study and determine the interest price and review interest rates periodically and continuously. Keywords : Interest rate, cash credit, pledge credit, cash interest rate, real interest rate, inflation rate, linear model and cubic model


2020 ◽  
pp. 31-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna A. Pestova ◽  
Natalia A. Rostova

Is the Bank of Russia able to control inflation and, at the same time, manage aggregate demand using its interest rate instruments? In other words, are empirical estimates of the effects of monetary policy in Russia consistent with the theoretical concepts and experience of advanced economies? This paper is aimed at addressing these issues. Unlike previous research, we employ “big data” — a large dataset of macroeconomic and financial data — to estimate the effects of monetary policy in Russia. We focus exclusively on the period after the 2008—2009 global financial crisis when the Bank of Russia announced the abandoning of its fixed ruble exchange rate regime and started to gradually transit to an interest rate management. Our estimation results do not confirm standard responses of key economic activity and price variables to tightening of monetary policy. Specifically, our estimates do not reveal a statistically significant restraining effect of the Bank of Russia’s policy of high interest rates on inflation in recent years. At the same time, we find a significant deteriorating effect of the monetary tightening on economic activity indicators: according to our conservative estimates, each of the key rate increases occurred in March and December 2014 had led to a decrease in the industrial production index by about 0.2 percentage points within a year.


Author(s):  
Ihor Krupka

The purpose of the article is to assess the level of domestic financial market dollarization, find out the causes of this economic phenomenon, trace its evolution and identify current features, substantiate proposals to minimize the negative consequences for the financial market and the economy in general. The methods of theoretical analysis, synthesis and generalization, analysis of statistical data and its graphical interpretation are used in the research. The results of the research showed that the main reasons for dollarization in Ukraine were high inflation and sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate of the national currency. In general, the dollarization of national financial markets occurs through the following channels: 1) borrowing on the international financial market; 2) the entrance of foreign banks to a domestic market; 3) investing abroad, when a national financial market is not sufficiently developed to create high-quality and highly liquid assets, dollarization provides rapid access to foreign financial assets and optimization of the profitability and risk structure of an investment portfolio; 4) the difference (spread) between interest rates in national and foreign currency. Based on the study of the domestic financial market, the following conclusions are made: 1) the level of Ukraine`s financial market dollarization in the aggregate and in terms of its separate segments is high; 2) this level poses a threat to the stable operation of financial intermediaries and the banking system in case of the national currency devaluation; 3) currency imbalance of assets and liabilities in the banking system has strongly decreased since 2008, but is still significant; 4) foreign currency is widely used by economic agents in the shadow sector of the economy. We consider the current dollarization level dangerous for the development of the country's financial system, and its reduction to a scientifically sound natural level should become one of the main tasks of the National Bank of Ukraine. Achieving the natural dollarization level and effective use of the domestic financial market potential will allow to intensify Ukraine's national economy development and promote integration into the international financial market and the global financial space.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34
Author(s):  
Bijan Bidabad ◽  
Abul Hassan

Dynamic structural behavior of depositor, bank and borrower and the role of banks in forming business cycle are investigated. We test the hypothesis that does banks behavior make oscillations in the economy through the interest rate. By dichotomizing banking activities into two markets of deposit and loan, we show that these two markets have non-synchronized structures, and this is why the money sector fluctuation starts. As a result, the fluctuation is transmitted to the real economy through saving and investment functions. Empirical results assert that in the USA, the banking system creates fluctuations in the money sector and real economy as well through short-term interest rates


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. p89
Author(s):  
Alejandro Rodriguez-Arana

This paper analyzes the effect of a monetary policy that raises the reference interest rate in order to reduce inflation in a situation where the fiscal policy parameters remain constant. In an overlapping generation’s model and in the presence of an accelerationist Phillips curve and a Taylor rule of interest rates, it is observed that increasing the independent component of said rule leads to a solution that at least in a large number of cases is unstable. In the case where the elasticity of substitution is greater than one, inflation falls temporarily, but then it can increase in an unstable manner. One way to achieve stability is to establish an interest rate rule where Taylor’s principle is not met. However, in this case many times the increase in the independent component of this rule will generate greater long-term inflation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (342) ◽  
pp. 89-116
Author(s):  
Irena Pyka ◽  
Aleksandra Nocoń

In the face of the global financial crisis, central banks have used unconventional monetary policy instruments. Firstly, they implemented the interest rate policy, lowering base interest rates to a very low (almost zero) level. However, in the following years they did not undertake normalizing activities. The macroeconomic environment required further initiatives. For the first time in history, central banks have adopted Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP). The main aim of the study is to explore the risk accompanying the negative interest rate policy, aiming at identifying channels and consequences of its impact on the economy. The study verifies the research hypothesis stating that the risk of negative interest rates, so far unrecognized in Theory of Interest Rate, is a consequence of low effectiveness of monetary policy normalization and may adopt systemic nature, by influencing – through different channels – the financial stability and growth dynamics of the modern world economy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1159-1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Caldas Montes ◽  
Cristiane Gea

Purpose The evidence concerning the effects of the inflation targeting (IT) regime as well as greater central bank transparency on monetary policy interest rates is not conclusive, and the following questions remain open. What is the effect of adopting IT on both the level and volatility of monetary policy interest rate? Does central bank transparency affect the level of the monetary policy interest rate and its volatility? Are these effects greater in developing countries? The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature by answering these questions. Hence, the paper analyzes the effects of IT and central bank transparency on monetary policy. Design/methodology/approach The analysis uses a sample of 48 countries (31 developing) comprising the period between 1998 and 2014. Based on panel data methodology, estimates are made for the full sample, and then for the sample of developing countries. Findings Countries that adopt the IT regime tend to have lower levels of monetary policy interest rates, as well as lower interest rate volatility. The effect of adopting IT on both the level and volatility of the basic interest rate is smaller in developing countries. Besides, countries with more transparent central banks have lower levels of monetary policy interest rates, as well as lower interest rate volatility. In turn, the effect of central bank transparency on both the level and volatility of the basic interest rate is greater in developing countries. Practical implications The study brings important practical implications regarding the influence of both the IT regime and central bank transparency on monetary policy. Originality/value Studies have sought to analyze whether IT and central bank transparency are effective to control inflation. However, few studies analyze the influence of IT and central bank transparency on interest rates. This study differs from the few existing studies since: the analysis is done not only for the effect of transparency on the level of the monetary policy interest rate, but also on its volatility; the central bank transparency index that is used has never been utilized in this sort of analysis; and the study uses panel data methodology, and compares the results between different samples.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Benigno ◽  
Salvatore Nisticò

This paper studies monetary policy in models where multiple assets have different liquidity properties: safe and “pseudo-safe” assets coexist. A shock worsening the liquidity properties of the pseudo-safe assets raises interest rate spreads and can cause a deep recession-cum-deflation. Expanding the central bank’s balance sheet fills the shortage of safe assets and counteracts the recession. Lowering the interest rate on reserves insulates market interest rates from the liquidity shock and improves risk sharing between borrowers and savers. (JEL E31, E32, E43, E44, E52)


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 2559-2586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Hua ◽  
Liuren Wu

A major issue with predicting inflation rates using predictive regressions is that estimation errors can overwhelm the information content. This article proposes a new approach that uses a monetary-policy rule as a bridge between inflation rates and short-term interest rates and relies on the forward-interest-rate curve to predict future interest-rate movements. The 2-step procedure estimates the predictive relation not through a predictive regression but far more accurately through the contemporaneous monetary-policy linkage. Historical analysis shows that the approach outperforms random walk out of sample by 30%–50% over horizons from 1 to 5 years.


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