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IMF's Rato on correcting global imbalances
In a speech on 'Correcting global imbalances - Avoiding the blame game' given on 23 February, Rodrigo de Rato of the IMF said a current account deficit the size of the US's 'cannot be sustained indefinitely'.
Sweden's Heikensten on Riksbank's monetary policy
In the speech 'Thoughts on how to develop the Riksbank's monetary policy work' given on 22 February, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said it is sometimes claimed in the general debate that the Riksbank and other inflation-targeting countries…
Fed's Olson on loan quality and the economy
In a speech on 'Loan quality and how it reflects the overall economy' given on 28 February, Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said economic growth is steady while inflation remains under control.
Chicago Fed's Moskow on small businesses
In a speech on 'Access to capital for women- and minority-owned businesses' given on 4 March, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve has an interest in…
BIS Quarterly Review, March 2005
The Bank for International Settlements published its March 2005 Quarterly Review on Monday 7 March. In the report the BIS said that Asian banks have reduced the share of deposits held in US dollars in favour of other currencies like the euro.
BOJ's Iwata: Deflation end needs 'one more stroke'
Kazumasa Iwata, one of the Bank of Japan's two deputy governors, said on Friday 4 March that the Japanese economy needs to improve by "one more stroke" to overcome deflation of almost seven years.
Ex-Fed's Wyss says Asia should diversify reserves
Asian central banks need to diversify their foreign reserves but in doing so, they should allow the local currencies to appreciate against the dollar, a former US presidential economic adviser and Federal Reserve governor said on Thursday 3 March.
Fed study shows dollar fall could boost growth
A study by the Federal Reserve says a substantial fall in the value of the US dollar is likely to boost economic growth rather than cause an economic crisis.
China needs flexible yuan, BOJ's Hirano says
China will adopt a more flexible currency as the nation overhauls its financial system and capital markets, said Eiji Hirano, a Bank of Japan executive director.
SEANZA central banks see liberalisation gains
Central bankers from Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand (SEANZA) met this week and agreed to assess the impact of global financial liberalisation on regional monetary, exchange rate and banking supervision policy.
The Bank should act soon
The Bank of England should act soon to raise interest rates, according to this article published on Friday 4 March by the Financial Times. With a general election expected in May, the Bank risks being accused of political motivations if it doesn't hike…
Armenian central bank chief re-appointed
The Armenian parliament has endorsed the re-appointment of Tigran Sargsyan as chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia, Mediamax news agency reported on Wednesday 2 March.
Fed's Gramlich on raising national saving
In a speech on 'The importance of raising national saving' given on 2 March, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said the United States would seem well-advised to minimize risks by raising its own national saving to finance its own investment.
BoE's Bell on real interest rates and inflation
In the speech 'A matter of no small interest: Real short-term interest rates and inflation since the 1990s' given on 2 March, Marian Bell of the Bank of England said the level of interest rates consistent with full employment and a stable economy has…
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on collateral markets
In a speech on 'Integration and efficiency in collateral markets - a central bank perspective' given on 1 March, Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the introduction of the euro six years ago has accelerated the integration process in the euro area…
St Louis Fed's Poole on pension systems
In a speech on 'Demographic challenges to state pension systems around the world' given on 24 February, William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said the United States must make "hard choices" if it is to fix its Social Security retirement…
Wolfowitz for World Bank, or Wolfensohn's son?
Reports this week said Paul Wolfowitz, US deputy secretary of defence, was a leading candidate to replace James Wolfensohn as the president of the World Bank. But the move seems unlikely following comments by Wolfensohn on Thursday 3 March.
New French finance minister installed
Thierry Breton arrived for work on Monday 28 February as France's fourth finance minister in less than a year following the resignation of Herve Gaymard last week.
Ukraine appoint central bank exec director, deputy
Oleksandr Tolstoy has been appointed the executive director of the National Bank of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.
Bank of Canada announces 2005 Research Fellowship
The Bank of Canada announced on Wednesday 2 March that Professor Paul Beaudry of the University of British Columbia is the recipient of the Bank's Research Fellowship for 2005.
Interview with ex-RBI chief Bimal Jalan
In an interview published this week, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India Bimal Jalan said interest rates will be soft as the inflation situation is okay and the foreign exchange reserve position is also comfortable.
China spends US$195b maintaining yuan peg
The People's Bank of China spent 1.61 trillion yuan (US$195 billion) buying foreign currency last year to maintain the yuan's peg with the dollar, a rise of 40 per cent over 2003.
Bank of Italy escapes supervisory power limit
Italy's lower house of Parliament voted on Wednesday 2 March not to remove the Bank of Italy's authority over competition and mergers in the banking sector.
ECB cuts eurozone growth forecast
The ECB on Thursday 3 March lowered its forecasts for growth of the eurozone economy this year and next . At a press conference Jean-Claude Trichet also criticised the recent decision by the Ecofin council of European finance ministers to give Greece…