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Central bank communication Philippines style
With elections fast approaching in the Philippines, campaigners are using SMS text messaging to drum up support. But reports say central bank governor Rafael Buenaventura is also a fan of texting.
'Mr Euro' quits EU for Spanish fin min job
Pedro Solbes, a staunch defender of the eurozone's stability and growth pact, is stepping down as European economic and monetary affairs commissioner on 11 April to take up the post of finance minister in Spain's incoming Socialist government.
Poland's NBP confirms management changes
Leszek Balcerowicz, president of the National Bank of Poland, confirmed a number of changes to the central bank's management this week.
Central bankers get new home in Mauritius
The Bank of Mauritius has awarded a contract for the construction of a new multi-storey headquarters in Port Louis.
RBNZ Head of Operations appointed
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced on Wednesday March 24 the appointment of Dr Don Abel as the Bank's Assistant Governor and Head of Operations.
Bundesbank sees profits fall by €5bn
Germany's central bank has said that profits fell by €5bn last year compared to 2002. The drop was partly due to the lower valuation of its equities portfolio and a fall in the value of its dollar-denominated securities holdings.
Chile central bank chief supports growth forecast
Vittorio Corbo, head of the Central Bank of Chile, told business leaders on Thursday 25 March that investment had begun to recover last year after a prolonged slump and the central bank was working hard to get inflation up to around 3 per cent following…
Brazil rules out relaxing inflation target
Brazil's central bank president Henrique Meirelles ruled out changing the 5.5 per cent inflation target set for this year, official news agency Agencia Brasil reported.
Snow says US making progress on China peg
US Treasury Secretary John Snow told Congress on Thursday 25 March that the Bush administration thinks it's making progress in efforts to get China to stop pegging its currency to the U.S. dollar.
Welteke dashes hopes of ECB rate cut
Bundesbank president and European Central Bank (ECB) governing council member Ernst Welteke sought in a TV interview to dampen hopes for an interest rate cut.
Mervyn King's Statement to UK Treasury Committee
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King told the UK parliament's Treasury Select Committee on Thursday 25 March that he wants to update the trade-weighted sterling index and has been in talks about doing so.
RBNZ's Orr on exchange rate intervention proposal
In a speech on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's exchange rate intervention proposal given on 25 March, Adrian Orr of the RBNZ said that what the RBNZ is recommending is intervening when the moment is justified and opportune, with the outcome of trimming…
Boston Fed's Minehan on labour markets
In a speech on 'Labour Markets: What We Know and What We Don't' given on 24 March, Cathy Minehan of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said the Federal Reserve should not be so patient about keeping the benchmark interest rate low that it allows…
Chicago Fed's Moskow on the US economic outlook
In a speech on the 'U.S. Economic Outlook' given on 22 March, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said that the Fed can't maintain its rate stance "indefinitely," predicting that as the economy gains strength the Fed's interest rate…
Guynn on US growth and monetary policy
In a speech on 'Sustainable Growth and Monetary Policy' given on 24 March, Jack Guynn of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said low US interest rates must rise as the economy gathers steam, and while that point has not yet been reached, businesses and…
Welteke sees eurozone recovery scenario intact
Bundesbank President and ECB Governing Council member Ernst Welteke said on Wednesday 24 March that the most likely scenario for Germany and the euro area is a moderate and gradual recovery. He also commented on remarks made by Guy Quaden earlier.
Bank of England told to freeze HAMAS assets
The Bank of England, as agent for Her Majesty's Treasury, on Wednesday 24 March directed financial institutions that any funds which they hold for or on behalf of the individuals named below must be frozen.
RBZ declares foreign currency use illegal
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has declared it illegal to use foreign currency to pay for goods and services within the country. The RBZ said the practice contravened the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act.
CBN issues new settlement system guidelines
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released guidelines on the new settlement system for the banking industry, scheduled to commence on the 1st of April.
Buba against foreign takeovers of German banks
The Bundesbank spoke out against foreign takeovers of the country's biggest banks and said that Germany needs at least one big bank to protect its economic interests, a newspaper reported on Wednesday 24 March.
Quaden says ECB still has ammunition
Belgian ECB governing council member Guy Quaden was quoted on Wednesday 24 March as saying that the ECB's official interest rate of two per cent is "extremely low" but the Bank has some room for manoeuvre if necessary.
Interview with ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet
In an interview with a German newspaper, Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, signalled his concern for the eurozone economy. He also said that consumer confidence in the euro zone was weaker than it should be at this stage of an…
Czech NB's Tuma calls for flexibility on euro
The Czech National Bank said on Tuesday 23 March that the European Union should be flexible over euro entry requirements for accession countries.
Norges Bank conference on monetary policy
On Friday 26 March, Norges Bank will hold a conference on monetary policy in conjunction with the publication of Norges Bank's Annual Report for 2003.