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Counterfeit euro notes rises in 2nd half 2003
The ECB said on Thursday 22 January that a total of 311,925 counterfeit euro banknotes were removed from circulation in the second half of 2003, an increase of 30 per cent on the first half.
ECB's Wellink-Rate moves can't control fx swings
Nout Wellink of the European Central Bank's Governing Council said that interest rate moves were not the way to deal with foreign exchange swings and that the euro's external value was not excessive.
Argentina mixes bank notes with musical notes
The central bank of Argentina has introduced a novel feature by offering people the chance to listen to music while browsing its revamped website.
Tanigaki to explain Japan's monetary policy at G7
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Friday 23 January that he will give an accurate picture of Japan's fiscal and monetary policies at the upcoming Group of Seven finance ministers' meeting.
Prat-Gay: Argentine creditors must take losses
Argentina's central bank governor Alfonso Prat-Gay told investors at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday 21 January that his country's creditors will have to take large losses on their defaulted debt.
Ex RBA governor hits on 'scandalous' salaries
Bernie Fraser, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, has taken a swipe at executive pay levels.
Nigeria appoints new deputy governor
Tunde Lemo has been appointed as a deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
French minister calls on ECB to tackle FX
French Industry Minister Nicole Fontaine called on the ECB on Thursday 22 January to "seriously address" the problem of currency market instability.
Bank of Canada appoints Godin as adviser
The Bank of Canada has announced the appointment of Pierre Godin to the position of adviser. The appointment is for an 18-month period and Mr Godin will be joining the Bank in mid-March.
EU to base regulators in London and Frankfurt
European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday 20 January to base two new financial regulatory committees in London and Frankfurt.
IMF's Krueger says more flexible rupee desirable
Anne Krueger said on Wednesday 21 January that the Indian rupee must be allowed more flexibility and the Reserve Bank of India should intervene less in the currency market.
Report says Bundesbank wants 600 tonnes gold sale
A report said Germany's Bundesbank has registered its intention to sell a total of 600 tonnes of gold over the next five years.
Solbes confident of euro stability
Speaking on Tuesday 20 January, Pedro Solbes, the EU's monetary affairs commissioner, said he believes the euro will not rise excessively, following EU ministers warning of dangers amid a record rise in the currency's value.
Ukraine adopts anti-money laundering program
The Ukrainian government and the National Bank have backed a program for 2004 to guarantee implementation of 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force.
Issing's testimony to the European Parliament
In testimony before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs given on 20 January, Otmar Issing of the ECB backed Brussels' legal action against EU capitals for shirking the EU's deficit rules.
Bank of England MPC Minutes 7/8 January
Minutes of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee Meeting were released on 21 January for the meeting of 7 and 8 January 2004. Sir Andrew Large was the sole dissenter on the MPC for the second month in a row, voting for a quarter-point rate rise.
BoE's King on the UK's new inflation measure
In a speech given on 20 January, Mervyn King of the Bank of England said reinforced expectations of higher borrowing costs in the UK, saying that the BoE's new inflation target would not mean looser policy than otherwise would have been.
Germany reports growth at 0.25%
The Bundesbank said on Monday 19 January in its January monthly report that Germany grew by just 0.25 percent in the fourth quarter of 2003 compared with the third quarter.
Interview with San Francisco Fed's Robert Parry
In an interview published on Monday 19 January, soon to retire President Robert Parry of the San Francisco Fed said the US economy "is growing at a pretty rapid pace" while inflation remains at historic lows. The toughest time for him at the Fed was 2001…
Prodi's pride in the euro
Speaking to the London School of Economics on Monday evening, Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission until October 2004, made some unscripted remarks on the international role of the euro. CentralBankNet reports.
Fukui vows to fight deflation as credit eased
Bank of Japan chief Toshihiko Fukui on Tuesday 21 January renewed his pledge to fight deflation with sustained credit easing while saying the risk of a high yen curtailing the economic recovery has not increased.
OECD report UK 'well placed' for economic recovery
The OECD said on Tuesday 20 January that Britain is "well placed" to benefit from the current global economic recovery, but a tight grip must be kept on public finances to avoid a rising deficit.
Bank of Canada lowers rate target to 2.5%
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 20 January that it is lowering its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 2 1/2 per cent.
BOJ makes changes to policy guidelines
At the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting held on Tuesday 20 January, the bank decided to change the main operating target in the guideline for money market operations.