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NY Fed conference on The Economics of Payments II
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published on Thursday 18 August a call for papers for a conference on "The Economics of Payments II," being held from 29-30 March 2006.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, July 2005
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for July 2005 was +0.16 down from +0.40 in June. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index - employment, consumption and housing, and sales, orders, and inventories - made positive…
Italy's Fazio on economic and financial planning
In testimony given on 22 July Antonio Fazio of the Bank of Italy said in order to return to a path of growth, it will be necessary to remove the factors that cause uncertainty and weigh on the decisions of firms and households regarding investment and…
In search of King's defence
Two articles published Thursday reflected on the Bank of England's last MPC meeting which saw the governor outvoted for the first time. One says the UK's "boring" monetary policy just got a whole lot more interesting, noting that heavyweight Charlie Bean…
Single currency in SADC remains elusive
Dreams of a regional central bank are far from fruition for the countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), according to this article published Tuesday 16 August.
Comment:Test for Mervyn King's communication skill
What does yesterday's revelation that the top brass of the Bank of England's MPC were outvoted at August's monetary policy meeting imply for the market's view of future interest movements in the UK? And what does it tell us about the institutional set-up…
Poland's Walesa: EU membership of limited value
Lech Walesa has said European Union membership has failed to improve living standards enough or increase the nation's influence in EU policymaking.
Colombian central bank to sell reserves to govt
Colombia's central bank said on Tuesday 16 August that it will sell more foreign reserves to the government, in a similar deal to a $1.25-billion sale carried out earlier this year to pay off a debt.
SNB says rates won't stay low for long
A recovery in the Swiss economy will probably take interest rates higher sooner rather later, according to a central bank board member in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday 17 August.
Singapore, UAE sign MOU on securities markets
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Tuesday 16 August that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (ESCA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
World Bank projects China's growth to slow
China's economic growth will fall to about 8 percent in 2006 from 9 percent this year as domestic demand declines, the World Bank predicted Wednesday 17 August.
Review of the IMF's Transparency Policy
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the IMF's transparency policy on 20 June 2005, based on a staff report entitled 'Review of the Fund's Transparency Policy'.
Bank of England MPC Minutes, 3 & 4 August
The minutes from the 3 & 4 August meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee published on Wednesday 17 August showed governor Mervyn King and three other top officials voted against this month's decision by the nine member MPC to cut…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, July 2005
The Deutsche Bundesbank published the English version of its July 2005 Monthly Report on 9 August. Germany's economy probably did not grow in the second quarter as negative net exports offset stronger domestic demand, the report said.
Oil-market frenzy and the Fed
This editorial by The Washington Times, published on Tuesday 16 August, says the job of the Federal Reserve has become far more complicated today. Today, following years in which international financial markets have been increasingly integrated, global…
BIS's Knight on the global economy
In the speech 'The global economy: so far so good?' given on 8 July (published 11 August) Malcolm Knight of the BIS analyses recent global macroeconomic trends.
Comment: Why Foreign Reserve Portfolios Matter
What do recent trends in official reserve management imply for foreign exchange markets and the conduct and coordination of monetary policy across the globe?
China agency calls for yuan band widening
China's National Development and Reform Commission has suggested that the yuan's trading band be widened to 2 percent from the current 0.3 percent.
PBOC issues property bubble warning
The People's Bank of China warned Monday 15 August that China faces a potential property "bubble" which could leave banks with huge losses if it burst.
Malaysia to play key role in financial integration
Malaysia can play a significant role in integrating East Asian financial markets such as developing the Asian Bond Market (ABM), Asian common currency and the proposed Asian bond banks, economics professor Dr S. Ghon Rhee said.
Bank Indonesia says rupiah rate 'realistic'
Bank Indonesia governor Burhanuddin Abdullah said the 2006 draft budget assumption of the rupiah's average exchange rate next year at 9,400 to the US dollar is "realistic".
Romania's central bank reports inflation falling
Romania's central bank governor said on Monday 15 August that the economy was growing strongly and he expected inflation to fall in the third quarter of this year.
Phil Fed's Survey of Professional Forecasters
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia published its Second Quarter 2005 Survey of Professional Forecasters on 15 August. The economy in the second half of the year looks stronger now than it did three months ago, according to 53 forecasters surveyed.
Why China has to revalue more
This article suggests another reason for China's recent decision to revalue the renminbi. Rather than bowing to international pressure to end the trade advantage it received, it suggests China's attempts to engineer a soft landing for its economy simply…