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Bank of Japan Annual Review 2005
According to the Bank of Japan's Annual Review 2005, the economy continued a recovery trend in fiscal 2004, although there seemed to be somewhat weak movements in production, particularly in IT-related sectors, in the second half of the fiscal year.
Int'l payment systems expand presence in Russia
This article published on Monday 3 October reports that payment systems have achieved notable success in Russia but operate differently than in most other markets.
Financial de-dollarization: Is it for real?
De facto (unofficial) dollarization, defined as the holding by residents of assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency, is a policy concern in an increasing number of developing economies, according to this IMF Working Paper published on…
Fed's Ferguson on US currency
In the speech 'US currency' given on 28 September Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said our hope is a smooth transition for the newly designed currency into daily cash transactions.
Sir John Gieve's Biography
John Gieve has been Permanent Secretary of the Home Office since April 2001. It is one of the biggest and most complex departments in government which is responsible for expenditure of some £20 billion a year and employs more than 70,000 people.
Central Bank of Swaziland Annual Report 2004-2005
The Central Bank of Swaziland has published its Annual Report for 2004-2005.
Fazio becomes butt of Tremonti's jokes
Antonio Fazio became the butt of jokes from new economy minister Giulio Tremonti recently, when he poked fun at Fazio and imitated his voice.
Former Bank of Japan executive director dies
Toshihiko Yoshino, a former Bank of Japan executive director and a noted economic critic, died of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital on 12 August, the Asahi Shimbun and Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspapers reported this week. He was 90.
Greenspan farewell party set for December
Finance ministers and central bank presidents from the G7 nations have ensured Alan Greenspan's departure will not go unnoticed with a special session scheduled for December in London as a farewell party.
Fazio, humiliated, still fails to take the hint
The Economist magazine gave its opinion on the Fazio Affair in this article published on Monday 26 September. Mr Fazio's behaviour has wrecked the reputation of the central bank, hitherto one of the country's few internationally respected institutions,…
Zeti wins Central Banker of the Year award
Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz has been awarded the title of Central Banker of 2005 by Euromoney, the international publisher.
Prosecutors probe Fazio for 'abuse of office'
Antonio Fazio, governor of the Bank of Italy, was secretly placed under investigation in early August, prosecutors in Rome disclosed on Thursday 29 September.
Comment: When will Basel II bite
The Basel committee's members are committed to implement their new capital accord in just 15 months. The basic framework should go live on January 1, 2007; with the most advanced approaches following at the end of 2008. But what about those non-member…
Report says China's reserves still rising fast
China's foreign exchange reserves continued to rise in August, a newspaper reported on Friday 30 September, suggesting further upward pressure on the yuan.
ECB view on Bank of Italy reform in next fortnight
The European Central Bank will give its view on the proposed reform of the Bank of Italy in the next fortnight, ECB vice-president Lucas Papademos said Friday 30 September.
IMF's Deppler sees eurozone recovery on horizon
A top IMF official said on Friday 30 September that the potential economic growth rate for the eurozone should rise above 2% in the next few years, but high oil prices could delay the recovery.
Santomero sees bounce back in US economy
Post-hurricane rebuilding will help the U.S. economy bounce back in 2006, Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Anthony Santomero said in comments published on Friday 30 September.
Banco de Mexico goes live with new software
OpenLink, a provider of trading and risk management software solutions, announced on Friday 30 September that Banco de Mexico, the second largest central bank in the Americas, has gone live with OpenLink's latest front-through-back- office, fully…
High time for a single GCC currency
This article published on Thursday 29 September notes that there has been a fair amount of scepticism towards the proposed Gulf single currency, and says that for the currency union to be effective, there will need to be a single independent central bank…
ECB's power over market inflation outlook queried
According to this article published on Friday 30 September, the European Central Bank may have less control over financial markets' inflation expectations than it thinks, despite its increased rhetoric about the importance of keeping them under control.
International Journal of Central Banking, Sep 05
The September 2005 issue of the International Journal of Central Banking has been published. The latest edition contains five article including 'Liquidity, risk taking, and the lender of last resort,' and 'Dollar shortages and crises'.
SF Fed's Yellen on US economy and monetary policy
In the speech 'The US economy and monetary policy' given on 27 September Janet Yellen of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco said the Fed must uphold its pledge to keep inflation subdued, suggesting US interest rates would continue to rise.
Canada's Longworth on monetary policy
In the speech 'Monetary policy: One instrument, one target' given on 29 September David Longworth of the Bank of Canada said the Canadian economy will feel only a modest impact from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but higher oil prices will result in a…
Fed's Kohn on inflation modeling
In the speech 'Inflation modeling: A policymaker's perspective' given on 29 September Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said the low level of US inflation may reflect luck and structural economic change, not just good monetary policy.