7. FROM THE SAME DATE, WHEN NOTES ARE WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION AND THE NOTE-ISSUING BANKS, SURRENDER CERTIFICATES OF INDEBTEDNESS
THE EXCHANGE FUND WILL PAY THEM THE EQUIVALENT FOREIGN EXCHANGE AT THE SAME FIXED RATE. IT IS OUR INTENTION TO HOLD THIS RATE
UNCHANGED.
S. THE RATES OF EXCHANGE WHICH A BANK CUSTOMER WILL OBTAIN, WHETHER EXCHANGING BANK NOTES OR MAKING ANY OTHER FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSACTIONS, WILL CONTINUE TO BE DETERMINED BY MARKET FORCES, BUT WILL IN PRACTICE BE CLOSE TO THE FIXED RATE OF HONG KONG DOLLARS 7.90 EQUALS U.S. DOLLARS 1. THIS WILL BE THE CASE BECAUSE FROM NEXT MONDAY MARKET FORCES WILL OPERATE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE FIXED RATE FOR CERTIFICATES OF INDEBTEDNESS. * MUST EMPHASISE THAT THESE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WILL MEAN BUSINESS AS USUAL BETWEEN BANKS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS AT STABILISED RATES.
9. YOU WILL ASK ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ECONOMY OF STABILISING THE EXCHANGE RATE IN THIS WAY. IN THE SHORT TERM
THERE MAY BE SOME UPWARD PRESSURES ON HONG KONG DOLLAR INTEREST RATES. ONCE THE STABILITY OF THE EXCHANGE RATE BECOMES EVIDENT AND ACCEPTED, INTEREST RATES SHOULD FALL BELOW PRESENT LEVELS. LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD CHANGES IN THE EXCHANGE RATE WILL
NO LONGER BE AN ELEMENT IN OUR ECONOMY'S ADJUSTMENT PROCESS.
FACTORS SUCH AS INTEREST RATES AND MONEY SUPPLY WILL ADJUST TO
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PRESSURES AUTOMATICALLY WITH GOVERNMENT
INTERVENTION.
10. THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THIS NEW ARRANGEMENT MUST NOW
BE PREFERRED TO THE FREELY FLOATING EXCHANGE RATE SYSTEM. WE
CANNOT RUN THE RISK OF FURTHER SPIRALLING DEPRECIATION, WITH
THE RAMPANT INFLATION AND DISTRESS WHICH THAT WOULD BRING TO ALL
OUR COMMUNITY. A RETURN OF CONFIDENCE IN OUR CURRENCY IS
ESSENTIAL.
11. I SAID THAT I HAD TWO MEASURES TO ANNOUNCE. THE SECOND IS THIS.
AS FROM MONDAY 17 OCTOBER INTEREST ON HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS
WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WILL NO LONGER BE TAXED. THIS MEANS
THAT THERE WILL NO LONGER BE A TAX ADVANTAGE IN HOLDING FOREIGN
CURRENCY DEPOSITS OR IN HOLDING HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS OFFSHORE.
12. AS I SAID LAST MONTH, THE GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE
POSSIBLE EROSION OF PROFITS TAX REVENUE ARISING FROM THE REMOVAL
OF INTEREST TAX. WE ARE STILL STUDYING THIS COMPLEX ISSUE. IN
REMOVING INTEREST TAX ON HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS WITH FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS, WE ARE DOING THE MOST THAT IS POSSIBLE, PENDING THE OUTCOME OF OUR STUDY. I HOPS TO BE IN A POSITION TO PROPOSS
MORE LASTING REFORMS IN THESE FIELDS OF TAXATION IN THE BUDGET
NEXT FEBRUARY.
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