Proponents cite Hong Kong as a country that has benefited from a currency
board. In the early 1980s, Hong Kong had a floating exchange rate. The immediate
cause of Hong Kong’s economic problems was uncertainty about its political future.
In 1982, the United Kingdom and China began talks about the fate of Hong Kong
following the expiration of the United Kingdom’s lease on the territory in 1997. Fear
that China would abandon Hong Kong’s capitalist system sent Hong Kong’s stock
market down by 50 percent. Hong Kong’s real estate market weakened also, and small
banks with heavy exposure in real estate suffered runs. The result was a 16 percent
depreciation in the Hong Kong dollar against the U.S. dollar. With this loss of confidence,
many merchants refused to accept Hong Kong dollars and quoted prices in
U.S. dollars instead. Panic buying of vegetable oil, rice, and other staples emptied
merchants’ shelves.
In 1983, the government of Hong Kong ended its economic crises by announcing
that Hong Kong would adopt a currency-board system. It pegged its exchange
rate at HK$7.8 US $1. The currency reform immediately reversed the loss of confidence
about Hong Kong’s economy despite continuing troubles in the U.K.-China
discussions. A stable currency provided the basis for Hong Kong to continue its
rapid economic growth.
By maintaining a legal commitment to exchange domestic currency for a foreign
currency at a fixed exchange rate, and a commitment to issue currency only if it is
backed by foreign reserves, a currency board can be a good way to restore confidence
in a country gripped by economic chaos. Although a currency board cannot
solve all of a country’s economic problems, it may achieve more financial credibility
than a domestic central bank can.