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Interview: Central Bank of Iraq's Chief Economist
In an interview Mudhir Kasim said that Iraq's central bank published official statistics for the first time in 26 years on Tuesday (17 Feb). "This is the first central bank bulletin since time immemorial. The information we produced before was secret,"…
Minutes from the Sveriges Riksbank Meeting, 5 Feb
Minutes of the Sveriges Riksbank Executive Board meeting on 5 February, published 19 February. The minutes pointed to a continued strengthening in international economic activity. Deputy Governor Kristina Persson entered a reservation against the…
BoE's Lomax on Inflation Targeting
In a speech on 'Inflation Targeting - Achievement and Challenges' given on 18 February, Rachel Lomax of the Bank of England discussed the improvement in economic performance since the adoption of inflation targets and the challenges that policy makers…
Finland central bank bill withdrawn
A controversial bill that would have given the Finnish government the right to grab central bank funds has been withdrawn.
A case for removing the ringgit peg in Malaysia
This article looks at Malaysia's ringgit peg, saying that the US dollar's fall has posed questions over its viability. It argues for an immediate restoration of the free float regime, which applied before the local currency was fixed to the US dollar in…
Meirelles says Brazil can cope without IMF aid
Brazil's central bank chief, Henrique Meirelles, said in an interview that the country's dependence on the IMF could be reduced and a reduction in Brazil's "foreign vulnerability" could be achieved.
BOJ's Iwata says strong GDP won't change stance
The Bank of Japan's deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said on Wednesday 18 February that the BOJ's monetary easing policy will stay unchanged despite strong GDP figures, and added that deflation remains a stubborn problem.
Serbian central bank warns parliament
The National Bank of Serbia warned on Tuesday 17 February that it would appeal to the Republic's Constitutional Court if parliament annuls the election of central bank governor Kori Udovicki.
Oman plans new settlement system
The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) plans to introduce a real time gross settlement (RTGS) system for faster inter-bank transactions, a report said.
Netherlands plans to offload $866m of gold
The Dutch central bank plans to sell 65 tons of gold valued at $866 million when the 15-country gold sales agreement expires in September, spokesperson Tobias Oudejans said on Tuesday. 17 February
Cleveland's Pianalto on the process of policy
In a speech on 'The Process of Policy' given on 13 January, Sandra Pianalto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said provided a snap shot of a typical FOMC meeting, from the "go-round" when Committee members give their views on the economic outlook…
Bank of England MPC Minutes 4/5 February
Minutes of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee Meeting were released on 18 February for the meeting of 4 and 5 February 2004. In a rare move, the MPC voted unanimously to raise interest rates by a quarter point.
Hungary to delay Euro adoption to 2010
Hungary's new Finance Minister Tibor Draskovics was quoted as saying that the country will probably postpone the adoption of the Euro to 2010 from 2008 because of high inflation and budget deficits.
Canada's Dodge on policies for changing times
In a speech on 'Policies for Changing Times' given on 17 February, David Dodge of the Bank of Canada said the right set of macroeconomic policies helps countries to adjust to changing economic circumstances.
Russia and Belarus agree on currency policy
The National Bank of Belarus and the Central Bank of Russia have approved a draft agreement between the governments and central banks of the two countries on common principles of currency regulation and control.
Court told 'Treasury in the dark' over BCCI affair
The High Court in London heard on Monday 16 February that the Bank of England allegedly deliberately withheld information about the state of BCCI from the Treasury because it was concerned that the government department would force the bank's closure.
Central bankers say stability pact not dead
The EU's much maligned stability and growth pact is not dead despite a decision by finance ministers in November to suspend its rules, ECB and Bundesbank members said Monday 16 February.
UAE's anti-money laundering laws praised
Governor of the UAE central bank Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi has said that the UAE's anti-money laundering law has helped reduce serious cases since it was passed in 2002.
SNB's Roth says euro has stabilised Swiss franc
Speaking on Monday 16 February, Swiss National Bank chairman Jean-Pierre Roth said that the introduction of the euro has stabilized the Swiss franc but has also left the economy vulnerable to sharp currency swings.
Heikensten-Risk management and financial stability
In a speech on 'Risk management and financial stability' given on 17 February, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said regardless of the fact that there are now outstanding issues to be resolved to improve risk management, his overall conclusion is…
RBA's Stevens on recent issues for monetary policy
In a speech on 'Recent issues for the conduct of monetary policy' given on 17 February, Glenn Stevens of the Reserve Bank of Australia said the bank raised interest rates late last year because of inflationary risks and demand for credit.
St Louis Fed's Central Banker, Winter 2003
The Winter 2003 edition of the St. Louis Fed's Central Banker magazine has been published. The latest issue carries a report on Check 21 which, it says, will speed up and simplify check processing. The Winter edition also reveals why the Bank is…
Central banks share anti-counterfeiting technology
This article looks at the use of anti-counterfeiting technology in software, saying that a group of central banks, including the Bank of Canada, are quietly giving secret anti-counterfeiting technology to computer and software manufacturers in an attempt…
Six EU PMs call for respect of Pact
Six European prime ministers including those from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have called for the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact to be applied "without discrimination".