The Role of the Currency Board in Bulgaria's Stabilization

The Role of the Currency Board in Bulgaria's Stabilization
Author: Ms.Anne Marie Gulde
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 22
Release: 1999-04-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1451974108

This paper focuses on the process leading to the choice of a currency board as a stabilization instrument, and its specific design. The use of a currency board was complicated and controversial because of serious structural problems, including a systemic banking crisis. It argues that the arrangement was well designed for the task at hand, combining a traditional rule-based exchange arrangement with a number of legal and structural measures to address the pressing bank sector and fiscal issues. In light of the interdependence of the measures, the success of Bulgaria’s currency board stabilization must be attributed to a combination of elements, of which the currency board was a crucial, but not the only determining factor. Structural problems, most notably in the banking sector, were equally severe. The banking crisis had been smoldering since at least 1995. A 1996 review found that out often state banks, which still accounted for more than 80 percent of banking sector assets, nine had negative capital and more than half of all state banks' portfolios were nonperforming.

Currency Board Arrangements. Rationale for Their Introduction, Advantages and Disadvantages

Currency Board Arrangements. Rationale for Their Introduction, Advantages and Disadvantages
Author: Svetoslav Pintev
Publisher: diplom.de
Total Pages: 81
Release: 2003-03-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 3832465499

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Currency board arrangements, under which domestic currency can be issued only to the extent that it is fully covered by the central bank s holdings of foreign exchange, were long generally dismissed as throwbacks to the colonial era. It was argued that such a rigid, rule-based arrangement was not well suited to diversified economies in many of which the authorities had developed sophisticated skills in monetary management. Instead, currency boards were seen as desirable in very small open economies (such as city-states for example). In 1960, 38 countries or territories were operating under a currency board. By 1970, they were 20 and, by the late 1980s, only 9. In the last decade the interest for Currency Board Arrangement (hereinafter CBA) renewed because of its simplicity, transparency, and rule-bound character. It became evident after the successful efforts made by two transition economies-Estonia and Lithuania-which quickly managed to achieve credibility for their newly established currencies. In 1997, a currency board arrangement was introduced in Bulgaria to end the economic crisis. Soon after, Bosnia and Herzegovina followed. In 1998 there have been discussions on establishing a currency board arrangement in Russia. More recently the newly appointed Finance Minister of Poland initiated a debate on pegging the Polish zloty to the euro through a CBA. This paper previews the history of the colonial and modern currency boards and presents the benefits of such a system for the newly emerged transition economies in Eastern Europe and Bulgaria especially. First, we will present a brief description of the currency board system. Currency Board Arrangements after falling into oblivion during much of the post-war period, staged a remarkable comeback mainly in Central and Eastern Europe countries. Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina have introduced this particular monetary framework and as a result have managed to break inflationary inertia, to bolster the credibility of the monetary authorities and to instill macroeconomic discipline. Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: I.Introduction 1.What is a currency board? 2.What a currency board is not? II.Origins of the Currency Board 1.Intellectual origin of the currency board system 2.Early Currency Board Systems 3.Decline of the Currency Board system. Reasons 4.Currency board system in nowadays III.Currency Board system and Countries in [...]

Argentina is Down! Bulgaria to Follow? Assessing the Stability of the Bulgarian Currency Board

Argentina is Down! Bulgaria to Follow? Assessing the Stability of the Bulgarian Currency Board
Author: Kritonas Ilias Arsenis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:

In 2002, Argentina was hit by a very severe economic crisis. This crisis was a result of the unsustainability of its Currency Board. It has been six years since Bulgaria decided to introduce its Currency Board. Since then, Bulgaria has gone a long way in stabilizing its economy and progressing in the negotiations for its accession to the European Union. One of the basic prerequisites for Bulgaria's accession is economic stability. Therefore, it is more than ever necessary to evaluate the sustainability of the Bulgarian Currency board and identify any required policy changes that would guarantee Bulgaria's economic stability and create the conditions for its accession to the European Union. The paper is based on studies of the effect of the introduction of the Currency Board on the vulnerability of Bulgaria to international contagions, of the real effective exchange rate and through it to the external and internal balance and finally the debt sustainability and of the vulnerability of its banking system. Unlike Argentina, Bulgaria has an exit strategy; its accession to the European Union. The question is whether Bulgaria will face a persistent negative shock that will make the Currency Board unsustainable earlier than its accession. In order to guaranty its sustainability until accession to the EU, the study shows, that a number of problems have to be tackled. The single most important recommendation of course is that if for any reason Bulgaria faces a persistent negative shock before entering the EU, it is very important for Bulgarian policy makers not to hesitate to abandon the Currency Board.