Even the freest of markets sometimes require government involvement to enable them to function effectively - although the extent and nature of that involvement is a matter of intense debate.
While there is little doubt that the free market philosophy is very much ingrained in the administration of Hong Kong, the extent of involvement of Government in markets is perennially a debatable issue, both from an academic point of view and among the participants of the markets concerned.
The free market is a fundamental concept that is taught even in high schools with an economics curriculum. When the forces of supply and demand are left to interact freely, a price level that enables the most efficient allocation and use of scarce resources will be determined and the welfare of society maximised. I do not know whether this is a good description of the benefit of free markets - my theoretical economics has become a little rusty with the passage of time - but the general thrust of the argument is easy to understand.
The trouble, however, is that behind this attractively simple theoretical argument are many assumptions that in practice may not prevail or may even be far from the true situation. And so in practice we do have free market results in which clearly the welfare of society is not maximised, to the extent that the involvement of Government is required, for one reason (some say excuse) or another. The provision of infrastructures for moving people and money safely and efficiently is a clear and probably non-controversial example of such involvement. But when it comes to government regulation of, or other forms of intervention in, markets, to ensure competitive fairness or protect those market participants who are unable to protect themselves, there is a lot more controversy.
And whenever there is such involvement, political lobbying from interested parties will attempt to influence the nature of the involvement to their benefit, at the expense of other interested parties in that market. When politics gets into markets, the rationale for government involvement becomes even more debatable and, possibly distorted by the PR efforts of those political lobbyists who can afford them, the welfare of the society is often, and sadly, relegated to a secondary concern, if that.
There are many assumptions underlying the "pure" theory of free markets that are probably difficult to exhaust. I remember writing in this column about explosive market dynamics where the time delay in respect of supply or demand towards a price signal on the one hand and the price elasticity of supply and demand on the other could result in enormous price volatility at huge social cost. There is also the possibility of anti-competitive market structures either on the supply side or the demand side that encourages anti-competitive or manipulative behaviour. There are the common issues concerning the homogeneity of the product in the market concerned, and the transparency and accuracy of market information. Another question is whether the size and liquidity of the market are large enough to prevent destabilising overshooting in the market price. This is particularly relevant when financing is involved, in which the market participant is engaging in a market transaction of a product that has a price much beyond his stock of wealth and flow of income - a deal of his lifetime. The situation becomes even more complicated when there is a forward market involved. Notwithstanding the theoretical possibility of forward transactions enhancing the stability of the spot market, there is the additional concern about the continuing viability of the buyer or the seller and so their ability in honouring their forward commitments - the settlement risk, using financial jargon.
Many of these market issues raise questions about whether the market, if left to operate freely, will indeed achieve efficiency in the allocation and use of resources and maximise the welfare of the society. These in turn raise questions about the need for Government involvement, and the extent and nature of such involvement. Hopefully, however, the objective and the form of such involvement can be clearly articulated and justified, and not distorted by political or other lobby of self-interest. Whether it is market oversight to ensure competitive fairness, or control against excessive monopolistic profits, or the protection of those not in a position to protect themselves, or assuming the role as an outright supplier, the intellectual justifications are essential if we do not wish the free market philosophy to be easily compromised.
Joseph Yam
12 June 2003
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