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Monetary Policy Challenges Under High Euroization. SEE after EU Enlargement and before Accession April 4-5, 2005 Budapest Boris Vujčić Deputy Governor Croatian National Bank. The degree of dollarization in transition economies. Source: Feige, E. (2002).
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Monetary Policy Challenges Under High Euroization SEE after EU Enlargement and before Accession April 4-5, 2005 Budapest Boris Vujčić Deputy Governor Croatian National Bank
The degree of dollarization in transition economies Source: Feige, E. (2002)
The degree of dollarization in transition economies Source: Feige, E. (2002)
Foreign currency deposits as a % of total deposits in banking system Source: CNB
Foreign currency deposits as a % of M4 Source: CNB
Why foreign currency? • long history of macroeconomic instability dating back to ex-Yugoslavia: high inflation, frequent devaluations, partial foreign exchange deposit expropriations • financial markets might not have a long memory, but citizens do • large diaspora, tourism • simple inertia
Interest rates on long-term domestic and foreign currency deposits
Consequences of de facto euroization: structure of bank lending, 2004
Balance sheet effect: • Banks hedge exchange rate risk with euro-clause in their loan contracts • only an imperfect hedge - transforms exchange rate risk into the credit risk • most borrowers have kuna denominated receipts
High degree of euroization – high liquidity and solvency risks • CNB requires banks to keep 35% of the amount of their foreign exchange liabilities in liquid foreign currency instruments • together with the central bank reserves: required liquidity buffer for the financial system • high-cost insurance
Consequences of de facto euroization:quasi currency-board monetary policy CNB International reserves Base money
Quasy currency-board monetary policy: • ER stability, but no commitment from the central bank • trying to get the best of both worlds: • credibility associated with the ER stability and low inflation • keep two-way risk in order to discourage speculative capital and make speculation more difficult, as well as to allow the ER to reflect changes in fundamentals, although maybe in a limited way • difficult game to play
What helps: • low degree of integration into the international financial markets • capital controls: • explicit as in ‘98, • or implicit like • regional political instability • lack of EU integration • banking problems • or a two way risk in the ER market
What makes it difficult? • Lukewarm capital: • reacts to bad news and exchange rate movements • domestic instead of foreign players • many instead of few • elements of herd behavior, but different animal than institutional investors like pension funds, investment banks or hedge funds
Foreign currency reserves of the CB relative to base money and M1 Source: CNB
Average monthly exchange rate Source: CNB
Leaning against the wind in a highly euroized economy Source: CNB
Foreign exchange interventions vs. change of the exchange rate Source: CNB
Foreign exchange interventions vs. the level of exchange rate Source: CNB
A problem…?(enterprises fx deposits after and prior to the liberalization of the fx market) FX liberalization
…and an unorthodox solution! • 42% of RR on foreign currency deposits has to be held in local currency • weapon of detterance • mismatch in banks’ balance sheets • regulation allows banks to have non-zero net foreign currency position of up to 20% of liable capital
Prudential regulation has an impact on monetary policy • coverage of foreign exchange liabilities by foreign exchange claims: minimum 35% • in effect limits the growth of domestic credits • net foreign currency exposure:maximum 20% of the risk-based capital • banks grant kuna credits indexed in f/c => fx risk transformed into credit risk
What cannot be done? • use of nominal depreciation for competitiveness improvement • quick portfolio shift from a local currency • rising interest rates (procyclical monetary policy) • possible pass-through on inflation • “original sin” - domestic agents are not able to transfer exchange rate risk (balance sheet effect)
Impact of ER movements and banking problems on the flow of bank deposits
What cannot be done? - cont. • irreversibility of euroization • dollarization hysteresis arising from inflation/depreciation expectations • inertia • network externalities in the use of foreign currency
What are the options? • unilateral euroization • not acceptable • continue with de facto euroized financial system • until euro is introduced de jure upon entry into the EMU • only then balance sheet risk will be removed from the system