Central Banking staff
Follow Central Banking
Articles by Central Banking staff
Trichet on why Europe needs structural reforms
In the speech 'Why Europe needs structural reforms' given on 24 April Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said the eurozone economy could grow nearly a percentage point faster each year if governments make markets more flexible.
How/why do consumers choose their payment methods?
In this Kansas City Fed RWP Stacey Schreft takes a detailed look at the state of research on this subject, where research needs to go, and why such research is important for monetary policymakers and banking regulators.
National Bank of Denmark - Annual Report 2005
According to the National Bank of Denmark's Annual Report 2005, the economic upswing in Denmark became even stronger in 2005.
Comment: A 'new multilateral approach'
The weekend's announcement of an enhanced IMF role in "multilateral surveillance and consultation" is an important conceptual shift in the way the Fund operates. It is also the closest leading economic leaders have come to acknowledging that global…
PBOC economist says 2006 GDP at least 9%
China's gross domestic product (GDP) will rise at least nine pct this year and the consumer price index (CPI) is likely to rise more than two pct, the official China Securities Journal reported, citing a central bank economist.
IMF given new surveillance powers
The International Monetary Fund has won new powers after its 184 member countries supported a new framework to monitor how the economic policies of one country affect others.
Fed's Ferguson warns over shock potential
U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson on Saturday 22 April cautioned that the tranquillity of financial markets in recent years does not mean that they were not vulnerable to more severe shocks.
Mario Draghi to succeed Roger Ferguson at FSF
Following consultations within the Financial Stability Forum's (FSF) membership, the G7 Finance Ministers and central bank Governors on Monday 24 April confirmed their support for the designation of Mario Draghi as Chairman of the FSF.
Language: Breaking the code of the Fed
This article published on Monday 24 April sets out to decipher the language of the Federal Reserve System, otherwise known as the House of Hints, it says.
Capital accord or capital discord?
According to this recent article, preparations for the new capital accord continue but there are growing fears among bankers and their supervisors that its inconsistent implementation around the world will cause problems.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, March 2006
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has published the March 2006 issue of its Bulletin. The latest issue includes the article 'Changes in the inflation process in New Zealand'.
SARB launch Vision 2010 for payment system
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on Thursday 20 April launched a document containing strategic guidelines for the national payment system.
Statement by G7 after Washington meeting
The following is the full text of a statement and an annex issued on Friday 21 April by the finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven nations after their one-day meeting in Washington.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Apr 2006
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, April 2006, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand.
Does the euro zone really need political union?
Seven years after the launch of the euro, this article published on Friday 21 April asks how much political union is needed to make monetary union work more effectively?
Central Bank of Chile - Annual Report 2004
According to the Deutsche Bundesbank's Annual Report 2005, sustained monetary impulse and a favorable external environment during the first half of 2004 created an expansionary macroeconomic climate, but initially this was not clearly reflected in…
Padoa-Schioppa 'serious' candidate for econ min
Romano Prodi, Italy's election winner, said on Friday 21 April that former European Central Bank board member Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa was a "serious" candidate to become his economy minister, but that nothing had been decided yet.
MEPs criticise ECB appointment
Following the approval of Jurgen Stark's nomination to the ECB's board by the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Wednesday 19 April, some centre-left MEPs have criticised the go-ahead.
BoJ overpays on travel expenses
The Bank of Japan has paid overstated amounts of domestic travel expenses claimed by some of its personnel and has been told by the Board of Audit of Japan to correct the problem, Jiji Press reported Thursday 20 April.
Comment: Sweden sheds reserve dollars
The Swedish Riksbank dropped a bit of a bombshell on international currency markets on Friday 21 April by announcing a significant reduction in the share of dollars and yen in its foreign reserves portfolio. Although Sweden has a relatively small…
Reserve diversification
Sweden's central bank is the world's oldest, and according to this article published on Friday 21 April, it is also proving to be among the most proactive in managing its foreign exchange reserves.
Bank of Canada, Business Outlook Survey, Spring 06
The Bank of Canada published its Spring 2006 Business Outlook Survey on 17 April, saying businesses are positive about the economic outlook.
Reshaping the IMF - Not even a cat to rescue
This article published Thursday 20 April reports that the International Monetary Fund's budget is shrinking and the morale of its staff is sinking. Some of its best customers are now doing without it, leaving some of its biggest shareholders wondering…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Mar 2006
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, March 2006, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to grow in March.