Afghanistan
People: April to June 2023
A round-up of central bankers in the news and on the move during the past three months
Banknotes: October to December 2022
A round-up of news and salient issues that have affected central bankers in the past three months
Currency round-up: BEAC to launch new banknote series
Afghanistan permitted to import new notes; Canada shortlists banknote figures; and more
Asset sovereignty: a problem to stump Solomon
When states have rival governments, who owns central bank assets?
Ukraine: the challenges for central banks
Rules on the weaponisation of money would help to protect a ‘public good’ amid geopolitical splits in a testing environment for central banks, write Gavin Bingham, Paul Fisher and Andrew Large
US may release frozen Afghan central bank funds – report
Plan would transfer up to $3.5 billion to the BIS under third-party supervision, source claims
US judge rules against seizure of Afghan central bank assets
Assets cannot be seized while US government does not recognise Taliban regime, judge says
Prominent economists call on US to unfreeze Afghan reserves
Stiglitz among those calling on US to ease humanitarian crisis despite Taliban rule
Understanding informal remittances
Better tracking of remittance flows could give central banks valuable insights to support policy, say Deepali Fernandes, Amil Aneja and Azar Sultanov
How Afghanistan’s central bank can help prevent famine
Rules could be devised to allow the New York Fed to ease the acute US dollar banknotes shortage, writes Warren Coats
Pakistan’s central bank asks government to rethink Afghan scheme
Channelling donations to Afghanistan might violate international regulations, central bank warns
2021: The year in review
The year has seen central banks switch from recovery mode to battling inflation. Central Banking looks back at the stories that made the biggest impact in 2021
Afghanistan’s frozen assets trigger controversy as harsh winter looms
Cash that is “desperately needed” by ordinary Afghans remains frozen in overseas central bank accounts
Custodian use in upper-middle income economies declines
Unstable jurisdictions, such as Afghanistan or Venezuela, face risk of losing access to assets held abroad
Afghan central bank ‘worsened crisis’, says leaked document
International officials allege “mismanagement” under Ahmady led to loss of dollars
Taliban name acting head of Afghan central bank
Mohammad Idris played leading role in financing Taliban war effort, senior official says
US and IMF block Taliban access to Afghanistan assets
IMF will not allow Taliban to receive SDRs, while US freezes central bank reserves
Taliban unlikely to gain immediate access to most DAB assets
Likely asset freeze and fall in currency may lead to hyperinflation, analyst warns
Is the integrity of Afghanistan’s central bank under threat?
Acting governor fires key staff and is accused of undoing reforms, while World Bank appears ready to suspend funds; administration and other donors show few signs of learning from Kabul Bank scandal
IMF approves $370 million credit facility for Afghanistan
New programme aims to support country’s recovery from Covid-19
IMF staff present details of Afghan deal
Proposed deal does not mention controversy over suspensions of central bank officials