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OECD says Germany unlikely to meet deficit targets
Germany is unlikely to meet its fiscal deficit targets in 2004 and 2005, and its growth forecast "appears to be on the optimistic side" the OECD said in a report on the German economy.
Japan report solid economic recovery, warns on oil
"The economy is recovering at a solid pace as improvements in the corporate sector are extending into the household sector," the Cabinet Office said in a monthly economic report on Thursday 5 August.
Rato promises more effective IMF
Rodrigo Rato on Wednesday 4 August promised changes at the International Monetary Fund that would ensure its assistance to Africa was more effective and debt relief more readily available.
National Bank of Austria - Annual Report 2003
The National Bank of Austria has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2003. In 2003 Austria slightly outperformed its main trading partners and the euro area as a whole, which was attributable, among other things, to the economic stimulus and…
Implementing Basel II in non-Basel member states
This fourth FSI Occasional Paper summarises the results of a Basel II Implementation Assistance Questionnaire for selected non-Basel Committee member countries. The paper presents the responses to the Questionnaire from a global perspective, highlighting…
Bank of England lifts rates to 4.75%, ECB holds
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise the Bank's repo rate by 0.25 percentage points on Thursday 5 August. The Bank said that its decision reflected continued strong growth which is likely to lead to rising inflationary pressures…
South African Reserve Bank - Annual Report 2004
The South African Reserve Bank published its Annual Report for the year ended 2004 on 2 August. The SARB achieved success on many fronts during the past year. By far the most important achievement was the downward movement in the rate of inflation to…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, July 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank published the English version of its July 2004 monthly report on 5 August. June saw a slowdown in the rise in consumer prices, with the general price level falling slightly in seasonally adjusted terms.
Japan says China must change fx system to enter G7
Japan's Ministry of Finance urges China to modify its tightly managed float of the yuan before it can be approved for entry into the Group of Seven nations, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, citing an unidentified senior government official.
RBA holds rates
The Reserve Bank of Australia announced Wednesday morning, 4 August, that the official cash rate would remain at 5.25 per cent, where it has been since December.
Eurozone recovery at risk, says IMF
The eurozone's recovery remains fragile and is vulnerable to weak consumer demand and the risk of a further rise in the already strong euro, the International Monetary Fund warned the single currency's member states on Tuesday.
Study says Fed doesn't target stock market
The Federal Reserve doesn't target stock market prices directly when it sets monetary policy, Reuters said quoting a Fed study due out this week.
Banque de France, Fin Stability Review, June 2004
At the turn of the year, growth picked up in all advanced economies as well as in most emerging economies, in particular in Asia. The economic recovery, already in full swing in the United States and in Japan, gained momentum in the euro area, albeit at…
RBA 2004 Conference: Future of inflation targeting
This year's Reserve Bank of Australia conference to be held 9-10 August is focusing on various issues related to inflation targeting including: the evolution of inflation-targeting regimes and the measurement of inflation. Drafts of the papers will be…
Central bank coxswain can't fully trust the crew
The Bank of England sees its role as a manager of other people's behaviour, this article says. A bit like the coxswain in a rowing race, the Bank both barks out orders and has a well-trained hand on the tiller. Central bankers, inevitably, like to think…
Implementing Basel II: Practical considerations
The Basel Committee published "Implementation of Basel II: Practical Considerations" on 29 July. While the revised Framework has been designed to provide options for banks and banking systems world-wide, the Committee says it acknowledges that moving…
Bank of Italy - Annual Report 2003
The Bank of Italy has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2003. World economic activity gathered pace from the middle of 2003 as international political tensions eased, and monetary and fiscal policies remained highly expansionary. The…
IMF's Carstens on the challenges facing the IMF
In a speech on 'The challenges facing the IMF' given on 27 July, Agustin Carstens of the IMF said he believes we have a good handle on the avenues that should be pursued for improving the Fund's ability to identify emerging problems. What is less certain…
Inside help suspected in IMF, World Bank threat
US counter-terrorism officials have told officials at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund that they think plans for a possible attack on the two financial institutions were so detailed that terrorists must have had inside help, the New York…
Brazil's cb has 'autonomy' on rates:, Palocci
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gave the central bank power to set interest rates as it sees fit to control inflation, said Antonio Palocci, Brazil's finance minister, in an interview with the Epoca newsmagazine.
Bundesbank adopts Autonomy data package
The Deutsche Bundesbank is to deploy technology from Autonomy to run an advanced information retrieval system for 12,000 employees.
No stocks bought by BOJ in late July
Data released on Tuesday 3 August showed that the Bank of Japan did not buy any stocks from domestic banks in late July.
Sin on development of Singapore's capital markets
In a speech on 'Development of Singapore's capital markets' given on 26 July, Ng Nam Sin of the Monetary Authority of Singapore said Singapore's debt capital market is an important part of our financial system. Continuous innovation in the markets will…
BNM's Zeti on investing in the new Malaysia
In a speech on 'Remaking Malaysia: Investing in the New Malaysia' given on 3 August, Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz of the Bank Negara Malaysia said during this period of strong fundamentals and rising potential for economic expansion, Malaysia has the flexibility…