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Interview with ECB's Bini Smaghi
Speaking recently, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, said that the US Federal Reserve is better than the ECB is "a bit like saying that Alonso is better than Schumacher. It depends on the car. The US economy…
Interview with ECB's Trichet
In comments published Thursday 15 December, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said there is an essential difference between the ECB's Governing Council and well-respected figures, such as Jean-Claude Juncker and Thierry Breton, who have…
Bundesbank official is pick for ECB
This article published Wednesday 14 December looks at the chances of Jurgen Stark replacing Otmar Issing at the European Central Bank. The choice of Stark would bring to the bank someone who was intimately involved with the introduction of the euro in…
Juncker says Stark may not take ECB economist role
Jean-Claude Juncker has suggested that Jurgen Stark might not inherit Otmar Issing's role as Chief Economist at the ECB if he is appointed to replace Issing.
Richmond Fed promotes officer
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond announced on Friday 9 December that Gregory Sierra would become assistant vice president, Banking Supervision and Regulation effective from 1 Jan 2006.
Comment: Brazil's surprise IMF settlement
Earlier this week Brazil announced that it plans to pay off its entire $15.5 billion in debt to the IMF by the end of the month. In doing so, the country will meet its outstanding IMF obligations two years ahead of schedule.
Fazio may face ECB probe
The European Central Bank may decide at its council meeting Thursday 15 December to open a formal inquiry into Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio's links with former Banca Popolare Italiana CEO Gianpiero Fiorani, said Corriere della Sera in an…
UK's Brown to meet Bernanke on Friday
British Chancellor Gordon Brown will meet the new designated future chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, in Washington on Friday 16 December.
Trichet: ECB must act before inflation develops
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said in an interview the ECB must not wait for inflation to develop before taking action against it.
LDP calls on BOJ to set nominal growth target
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said on Thursday 15 December that it wants the Bank of Japan to set a target for nominal economic growth in accordance with the government.
Bell calls Bank of England forecasts 'ambitious'
Former Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Marian Bell said in an interview that the central bank's forecasts for economic growth are "ambitious" and that if she was still on the MPC she would consider cutting rates.
International Journal of Central Banking, Dec 05
The December 2005 issue of the International Journal of Central Banking was published on Thursday 15 December. The latest edition contains six articles including 'How Should Monetary Policy Respond to Asset-Price Bubbles?,' and 'Inflation Targeting and…
BNM's Aziz on the Malaysian banking industry
In the speech 'Developing a robust competency framework for the Malaysian banking industry' given on 6 December Zeti Akhtar Aziz of the Central Bank of Malaysia said the success in developing a robust industry competency framework requires collaborative…
Singapore's Tong on riding the Asian tide
In the speech 'Riding the Asian tide' given on 8 November Goh Chok Tong said the rise of China and India will shift the global economic centre of gravity from West to East.
Krueger on the global consequences of Asian growth
In the speech 'Still achieving, still pursuing: The global consequences of Asian growth' given on 14 December Anne Krueger of the IMF said many Asian economies have long been reaping the benefits of trade liberalization.
Fed's Greenspan on free markets
In a speech given on 14 December Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the rise in global living standards despite fears of violence is a testament to the value of free markets in the world.
Comment: Fed signals end to rate cycle
The Fed this week increased interest rates by 25 basis points for the 13th consecutive time. While the move itself was a foregone conclusion, the removal of the word "accommodative" from the accompanying monetary policy statement, indicates that the…
St Lucia to introduce single financial regulator
A Single Regulatory Unit (SRU) involving all parties in the financial sector is currently being introduced in St Lucia. The SRU should come into effect during the last quarter of 2006.
Fazio confident despite banker arrest
Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio said he did not break the law, after Gianpiero Fiorani was arrested for suspected embezzlement, but a leading newspaper on Wednesday 14 December called on Fazio to quit.
Germany against gold sale to fill budget holes
Conservatives in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition remain opposed to using central bank gold reserves to fill budget holes, a senior lawmaker was quoted as saying on Wednesday 14 December.
Central bankers are not magicians says BoE's King
Bank of England governor Mervyn King said in an interview with a Swedish newspaper published on Wednesday 14 December that central bankers cannot do magic tricks and politicians shouldn't make comments about the monetary policy of independent central…
Fed raises rates, tweaks statement
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 13 December to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 4-1/4 percent. In its statement the FOMC removed the term 'policy accommondation' but suggested rates could rise further…
Brazil announces intention to repay IMF debt
Brazil announced on Tuesday 13 December its intention to make an early repayment of its entire outstanding obligations to the International Monetary Fund amounting to SDR 10.79 billion (about US$15.46 billion).
Gold is more than a hedge
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, the latest idea to grip the markets is that gold is poised to become the world's fourth major currency.