Opinion/Monetary Policy
IMF and World Bank collaborate closely
LETTER - Letter published in the Financial Times on Wednesday from a former Deputy Managing Director of the IMF. P.R. Narvekar describes Joseph Stiglitz criticism of the IMF as "baseless and vicious".
Flying blind
ARTICLE - If you had asked a group of central bankers to draw up a wish-list a decade ago, near the top would have come low and stable expectations for inflation; a financial system that was more resistant to shocks; and emerging markets less prone to…
BI to make amendments to the constitution
ARTICLE - To meet the demands of reform, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have amended the 1945 Constitution. Subsequent to the first, second and third phase of amendments, a number of articles are going through amendments in the current fourth…
Letter from Joseph E Stiglitz to the FT
LETTER - In a letter to the Financial Times published on Friday Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz continues the slanging match with the IMF's Ken Rogoff.
The costs of sterling
ARTICLE - History shows that Britain's separate currency has damaged the structure, balance and size of its economy writes David Cobham in Friday's Financial Times.
Kohler urges caution amid market volatility
ARTICLE - Horst Kohler gave an interview to the London Financial Times on Thursday in which he said that the biggest risk in today's uncertain financial markets is to "give the wrong signals and exaggerate problems so that they become a self- fulfilling…
Interview with Professor JK Galbraith
INTERVIEW - The UK's Independent newspaper published an interview with the 93 year old economist John Kenneth Galbraith on Monday. In the interview Galbraith describes the belief that central bank's can control the economy simply by tweaking interest…
Higher inflation 'all pain and no gain'
ARTICLE - "By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens" - JM Keynes. Leftists often look to Keynes. So what's Finance Minister Michael Cullen's game in his…
Hits and myths of Europe's new currency
ARTICLE - One industry lost out from the introduction of euro notes and coins six months ago: the doom-mongers, reports Monday's FT in London.
Japan's experience should warn central banks
LETTER - Letter published in the London Financial Times on 27 June from William Smyth.
Federal Reserve Board Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate unchanged at 1 3/4 percent, 26 June.
When will MPC act?
LETTER - Letter published in the London Financial Times on 21 June from Stephen Walkley.
A group too big for intense monetary policy debate
LETTER - Letter published in the London Financial Times on 21 June from Michael Davenport.
Political pointers
LETTER - Letter published in the London Financial Times on 24 June from Maurice Fitzpatrick.
Is it too early to call an end to deflation?
ARTICLE - Prices have stopped falling and the balance of Bank of Japan banknotes circulating in the market is on a sharp rise. So is it too early to worry about the possibility of inflation asks the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Monday.
A flawed independence
ARTICLE - Treasury interference could stop the Bank of England mitigating the effects of inflationary shocks, says Christopher Huhne in an article in Thursday's London edition of the Financial Times.
Interview - Luxembourg central bank's Yves Mersch
FEATURE - Luxembourg Central Bank governor Yves Mersch said the European Central Bank is awaiting hard evidence of an upturn in the euro zone's manufacturing sector before raising interest rates. In an interview with AFX News he also said the decision of…
Is It Possible to Predict the Future?
ARTICLE - William Poole, president of the St Louis Fed, has given his opinion on economic forecasting in an article called 'Is It Possible to Predict the Future?'
Why the Fed should ignore the stock market
ARTICLE - Opinion from James B. Bullard and Charles M. Hokayem of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis argue the Fed should not react to equity price developments because it would be 'similar to looking in a mirror', saying that such a policy would only…
Polish governor's bodyguards removed
ARTICLE - The relationship between the government and central bank in Poland continues to deteriorate. A full apology from the government is in order over the latest episode, argues an editorial in the Warsaw Business Journal.
Coo!
FEATURE - Sushil Wadhwani's tenure as a member of the Bank of England's interest rate setting committee comes to an end on Friday. The Financial Times, in its Observer column on Thursday, couldn't help making one last joke about Wadhwani's dovish…
Ian exits
FEATURE - The FT's Observer writes on Thursday, farewell Ian Plenderleith - sphinx-like to the end. At a Tuesday night retirement bash for the Bank of England director, his boss Eddie George preserved Plenderleith's legendary reputation as a backroom…
Afghan central bank struggles to defend currency
FEATURE - Afghanistan's central bank plans to issue a new bank note and chop three zeros off the volatile afghani in order to bring money supply under its control, the governor of the Bank of Afghanistan said on Tuesday in an interview with Reuters.
Paul O'Neill and pop star argue over aid issue
UGANDA - The Washington Post reports that US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Irish rock star Bono have apparently fallen out, over the issue of digging wells, during a joint 10-day trip around Africa to investigate the aid issue. O'Neill has…