Foreign Exchange Controls in Ldc's

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Foreign Exchange Controls in LDCs Foreign exchange controls are types of controls that governments put in place to ban or restrict the amount of foreign currency or local currency that is allowed to be traded or purchased. In many least developed countries of the world, exchange control is regarded as a necessary evil. There are several objectives in practising exchange controls. The main objectives of foreign exchange control in LDCs are as follows: a) Conservation of Foreign Exchange - Exchange control may be introduced by the monetary authority to conserve the gold, bullion, foreign exchange currencies, etc., i.e., foreign exchange resources, of the country. It may be necessary to ensure the availability of sufficient amount of foreign exchange needed to buy essential foreign goods. b) Check on Flight of Capital - Under the free exchange system there is the danger of huge outflow of capital which may weaken the country's economy. Especially unpredictable shifting of capital tends to add to the disequilibrium in the balance of payments and it also adversely affects future growth of the country. Exchange control, however, offers a prompt and effective means to prevent such capital outflows. c) Correcting Disequilibrium in Balance of Payments - To correct the deficit in the balance of payments, the country needs to put a curb on imports. For this purpose, the use of Foreign exchange earnings by exporters for import of goods must be checked through appropriate exchange control. Again, exchange control is essential to implement an import policy very effectively. In short, exchange control may be introduced to protect the country's balance of payments. d) Stabilisation of Exchange Rates - In a free exchange market, exchange rate is a fluctuating phenomenon. Thus, exchange control may be adopted to maintain exchange rates at the equilibrium level, i.e., the level

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