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RBI report on currency and finance
According to the Reserve Bank of India's annual report on currency and finance for 2005-06, released on 31 May, "it is imperative that the financial markets are developed further," if the risks of financial integration are to be mitigated.
Annual report - Bank of Uganda
The main challenge for the Bank of Uganda's monetary policy in 2005-06 was related to shocks associated with the prolonged drought, which adversely affected agricultural production and pushed up food crops inflation.
Kroszner on risks and outlook for US economy
Economic growth will in the US pick up through 2007, rising to close to potential by 2008, said Randall Kroszner, a member of the Board of Governors, at the spring meeting of the IIF in Athens, adding that the risks to the inflation outlook are primarily…
UK's Blanchflower explains voting behaviour
In a speech on 30 May David Blanchflower, member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, said that he voted to raise rates for the first time since joining the MPC in June 2006 because he wanted to indicate to the public the Bank's intention…
Canadian growth beats central bank forecast
The growth of the Canadian economy during the first quarter of this year was stronger than the central bank expected official statistic released on 31 May revealed. The upside shock appears to have sealed the case for rate hikes later this year.
Nishimura sees third quarter inflation rise
Kiyohiko Nishimura, a board member of the Bank of Japan, says inflation is likely to rise in October this year.
Bank of Italy - annual report
The Bank of Italy released its 2006 annual report on 31 May. On the occasion of the release, Mario Draghi, the governor of the central bank, commented on the Italian economy, saying that although its rate of growth is still one of the lowest in the euro…
Governor's deciding vote sees Czech rates up
The Czech Central Bank raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.75% on 31 May. The central bank's board was split, with three members voting for the hike and three for leaving rates unchanged. It then fell to governor, Zdenik Tma, to…
Fundanga on the outlook for the Zambian economy
After recording single-digit inflation for the first time in 30 years last year, Zambia's economy has slipped back somewhat in the first quarter of 2007, the governor of the central bank, Caleb Fundanga, told national radio.
Sweden's Rosenberg on interest rates
External price pressure and expectations of improvements in productivity were the reasons why Irma Rosenberg, a first deputy governor at Sweden's Riksbank, voted for rates to stay on hold at the monetary policy meeting at the start of the month, she said…
Draghi keen on governance reforms for banks
The governor of the Bank of Italy, Mario Draghi, told the central bank's shareholder at the conclusion of its annual meeting that he backs Italian lawmakers' current effort to reform the governance arrangement for the country's cooperative commercial…
Fed minutes reveal worries over inflation, housing
The minutes of the latest monetary policy meeting of the Federal Reserve contained few surprises, but underlined the fact that policymakers remained concerned about an "upward drift in inflation expectations".
Central Bank of Bahamas - Annual Report
Released in May, the Central Bank of Bahamas' annual report looks back at monetary policy as well as the broader economic environment affecting the island economy over the course of 2006. Looking ahead for 2007, the report provides details of a projected…
Australia's payments system review
The Reserve Bank of Australia formally initiated a consultation process for the review of its payments system on 29 May, with the release of a paper titled 'Reform of Australia's Payments System: Issues for the 2007/08 Review.'
The benefits of the SARB's transparency
This IMF Working Paper suggests that the increased transparency of monetary policy in South Africa since the late-1990s has helped to improve the accuracy of inflation and interest rate forecasts.
Why worry about inflation? - Sri Lankan deputy gov
In this speech W.A. Wijewardena, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, explains why "inflation is undoubtedly the public enemy number one."
Rates up in Norway and Malta, Poland steady
The central banks of Norway and Malta raised interest rates on 30 May, while rates remained unchanged in Poland.
Euro lending and money growth slows
The European Central Bank's current tightening cycle appears to be starting to make its mark. Mortgage lending growth in the eurozone has slowed to the lowest for more than three years.
Johnson leaves the Fed
Karen Johnson, director of the Division of International Finance at the Federal Reserve Board, will step down after nearly a decade in this position.
Zoellick to replace Wolfowitz at World Bank
American president George W. Bush has named Robert Zoellick, a former US trade representative, as a replacement for Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.
Inflation breaches SARB's target
South Africa's targeted CPIX inflation has breached the South African Reserve Bank's 3% to 6% inflation target for the first time since August 2003.
Bini Smaghi on "secondary objectives"
In his speech 'With or Without Prejudice to Price Stability? , Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, discusses what the central bank can do to achieve its so-called secondary objectives of monetary policy.
CB independence under threat in New Zealand
According to this note by a New Zealand-based economic research company, Allan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zealand, has adopted an experimental "go for growth" monetary policy strategy. A move away from this approach could make the…
New IMF Survey
The latest IMF Survey includes articles on the Fund's role in exchange rate surveillance, the conclusions of its most recent "Global Financial Stability Report", and the economic outlook for Belgium, the Middle East and Central Asia.