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RBNZ issues Statement of Intent
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has made public a Statement of Intent which outlines the Bank's plans for the period 2004 to 2007. This Statement of Intent has been prepared as a pilot document for an accountability obligation that will be required of…
Guynn on responding to global competitive pressure
In the speech 'Responding to global competitive pressure' given on 25 August Jack Guynn of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said a recent dip in U.S. growth will likely prove temporary and should not alter a Federal Reserve plan to gradually raise…
IMF suggests flexible rates for China
In its most recent report on the Chinese economy the International Monetary Fund warned that a "soft landing is not yet assured" and recommended the introduction of a more flexible exchange rate quickly.
IMF's Rato to visit Argentina
Rodrigo Rato, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, was due in Buenos Aires on Tuesday for talks on Argentina's financial situation.
NBS leaves key interest rates unchanged
The Board of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) decided to keep interest rates unchanged at its monthly session on Monday August 30.
South African economy shows upswing
South Africa's economy grew by 3.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2004, its best performance since the end of 2002, the official statistics agency reported on Tuesday 31 August.
Russian central bank misses profit target
The Russian Central Bank missed its target for paying profit to the federal budget by 1.5 billion rubles in the first half of 2004, according to Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Shatalov on Tuesday 31 August.
RBA's Macfarlane on Asia and Australian growth
In a speech on 'Geography, Resources or Institutions?' given on 25 August Ian Macfarlane of the RBA said the growth of Asia had contributed substantially to Australia's economic performance by helping reduce its isolation from world economic activity.
Fed's Greenspan on global demographic change
In a speech on 'Global demographic change' given on 27 August, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve warned that an ageing U.S. population will strain public finances and hurt the economy without swift fixes to the safety net, such as raising the age for…
BoE's Bean on global demographic change
In a speech 'Global demographic change: Some implications for central banks' given on 28 August, Charles Bean of the Bank of England said that although central banks will need to adapt to the changes brought about by an ageing population, for the most…
Papua New Guinea's Kamit on economic issues
Addressing the New Ireland Forum for Development Mr Kamit, governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea, spoke about the issues facing the central bank, and developments in the country's economy.
Australia's Stevens on economic forecasting
Glenn Stevens, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, gave a speech to the Economic Society of Victoria on August 17 on "The thankless task of economic forecasting". He discussed the accuracy of forecasts, how to make forecasts useful, and…
Japan's Fukui on financial services
Toshihiko Fukui, governor of the Bank of Japan, gave a speech on July 22 about the significance of efficient financial services for the future of Japan's economy.
Poland raises interest rate by half percent
The Polish central bank raised its main interest rate to 6.5 percent on August 24, the third rise in as many months. The central bank took the measures to address inflation, which has been rising following Poland's entry into the EU.
ECB study finds inflation targets do work
A recently published working paper by the European Central Bank investigates the impact of inflation targeting, and concludes that explicit inflation targets do have a significant effect on inflation expectations and persistence.
Taiwan under pressure to raise rates
The Central Bank of China, Taiwan's central bank, may be under pressure to increase interest rates for the first time since December 2000, according to news reports.
Thailand raises interest rates
The central bank of Thailand raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points on Wednesday 25 August, bringing its repo rate to 1.5 percent. This follows a series of interest rate cuts which started in 2001, and comes amid signs of accelerating inflation…
China to intervene and save D'Long
China's central bank may be preparing to intervene to prevent the failure of troubled private conglomorate D'Long Group, in an unprecedented move to avoid financial chaos in China's banking system.
Sweden leaves rate unchanged
The Swedish central bank left the repo rate unchanged at two percent at its meeting on Thursday 19 August. The decision to keep the interest rate at the record low for the fifth consecutive month came despite recent reports of higher than anticipated GDP…
Canada hints at September rate rise
In a speech on August 23, Bank of Canada Deputy Governor David Longworth gave strong signals that the bank is contemplating raising its overnight interest rate from two percent at its September 8 meeting.
Poll thinks ECB unlikely to increase rates
A recent poll of economists showed that there are strong expectations that the ECB will not raise interest rates until the first half of 2005, waiting for proof of a pickup in consumer demand which would protect against a global slowdown.
Brazil's Meirelles given cabinet status
The president of the Central Bank of Brazil, Henrique Meirelles, has been granted cabinet status in a further development to allegations of his financial misconduct by the national press.
Russia issues forecasts on 2005
The Russian government will continue to target both the exchange rate and inflation next year because its economy is not ready for a free-floating ruble. At the same time, forecasts show a potential boost to the economy from revenues caused by high oil…
Thai leader shows support for central bank chief
At a press conference on Friday 14 August, the Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, quashed speculation that he would replace the governor of the Bank of Thailand over problems in the banking sector.