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Kennedy:Efficiency/transparency in capital markets
In the speech 'Efficiency and Transparency in Canadian Capital Markets' given on 28 October Sheryl Kennedy of the Bank of Canada discusses the importance of promoting efficiency in capital markets, and how transparency can support these efforts. She also…
Issing: Europe & the US - New paths for the future
In the speech 'Europe and the US: Partners and Competitors - New paths for the future' given on 28 October Otmar Issing of the ECB said we at the European Central Bank are very much aware of our responsibilities in a world characterised by close trade…
BoJ's Fukui on Restructuring Japan's Economy
In the speech 'Restructuring Japan's Economy' given on 28 October Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said financial institutions need to strengthen their risk-taking ability. At the same time, we require a framework in which the optimum allocation of…
Canada's Jenkins on governance, markets, policy
In a speech on 'Corporate Governance, Capital Markets, and Canadian Monetary Policy' given on 27 October, Paul Jenkins of the Bank of Canada discusses recent efforts to improve the operation and the regulation of Canadian capital markets, in the wake of…
Sri Lanka to introduce secure cheque clearance
Sri Lanka is to introduce a secure cheque clearance system before the end of this year to speed up banking services. A government spokesman, reported by the Sri Lanka Daily News, said the system would be an essential of the government's project to…
RBI likely to signal new settlement system plan
Private sector bankers said on Tuesday 28 October that they believed the Reserve Bank of India was about to announce a plan to install a real-time gross settlement system for the entire financial sector by January, according to a report by Reuters. The…
BOJ in negative net worth if JGB yields jump-Ueda
BoJ Policy Board member Kazuo Ueda said in a speech reported by Reuters that if the value of Japanese Government Bonds was to drop 10 per cent the Bank of Japan will be in negative net worth. Ueda warned of growing risks to the BoJ's balance sheet.
G20 positive on world economy as meeting ends
The Group of 20 Finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Mexico were positive about the world economy on Monday 27 October. In an official statement, reported by the Financial Times, they said that "while risks remain, a global economic…
Fukui chief vows to fight deflation
Toshihiko Fukui, governor of the Bank of Japan, said on Tuesday 28 October that he sees no immediate end to Japan's deflation problem, according to AFP, but he pledged to continue the struggle with high levels of liquidity. "Just because we have a…
A mangled message from the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve's FOMC committee meets on Tuesday 28 October to decide interest rates. The accompanying statement with their decision, this article in the Financial Times says, is now so central to markets' interpretation of the Fed's intentions that…
ECBs Tumpel-Gugerell: euro in cen & eastern Europe
In a speech on 'The euro in central and eastern Europe' given on 27 October, Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the European Central Bank said integration into the monetary union represents a key step towards full economic integration within the EU and has the…
Bikers and bankers
G20 central bankers meeting in Mexico were in for a shock when they arrived at their hotel to find most of the rooms had been taken by a group of bikers. Rows of Harley Davidsons greeted them and the Financial Times reported that the G20 bankers were…
Kick off in Italy
Italy is famous for its football but the Financial Times reported kicks of a different kind last week. Governor of the Bank of Italy Antonio Fazio was said to have instructed one of his bodyguards to "kick him a bit so he goes away" referring to a…
Heads set to roll at troubled RBZ
Zimbabwe's Financial Gazette reports trouble brewing at the Reserve Bank. Not only does the country have a cash crisis, but the central bank is in turmoil with rumours that the government plans to bring experts in from Bank Negara Malaysia to sort things…
Ferguson and Bernanke back on Board
Roger Ferguson and Ben Bernanke got approval from the US Senate last Friday to new terms at the Fed, Reuters reports. Bernanke gets a full 14 year term on the Federal Reserve Board while Ferguson was cleared for four more years as the Fed's Vice Chairman.
Poetry - McTeer style
Dallas Fed President Bob McTeer is well known for his poetry and a recent article in the New York Post reminded us of a few of his classics, including this one. "There once was an economy on the ropes. It kept defying recovery hopes. When we finally made…
ECB gets a queen for the day
The red carpet was rolled out last week in Frankfurt when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands paid a visit to the European Central Bank.
Armenia ushers in new Deputy Governor
The National Assembly of Armenia has approved Artur Dzhavadyan as the new Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia after he was proposed by the President. In what looks like a big vote of confidence, ArmInfo reported there were 86 votes in support…
France's Noyer on banknotes' stretch
Christian Noyer has answered the question that was on everyone's lips: Just how far would the 15bn euro banknotes stretch if laid end-to-end?
Fed's Connolly on Preparing for Check 21
In a speech on 'Preparing for Check 21' given on 17 October, Paul Connolly of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said that the Check 21 legislation is intended to take some of the costs and delays of paper processing and transportation out of the check…
Thai c bank says local banks ready for Basel II
Bank of Thailand Governor Pridiyathorn Devakula said on Monday 27 October, according to Dow Jones, that Thai commercial banks will be ready to adopt the new Basel II regulations on capital adequacy when they come into force end-2006.
UAE auditing office criticises central bank
The United Arab Emirates State Auditing Office has strongly criticised the central bank, according to Gulf News, accusing it of suffering unnecessary losses, failing to fully undertake its role as a government bank, and indulging in practices that…
Bundesbank's Welteke: is US growth sustainable?
Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke said on Sunday 26 October, on the sidelines of the Mexico G20 meeting, that the world economy is in recovery but he questioned whether growth in one of its main drivers, the United States, was sustainable, Reuters…
China central bank says stable yuan good for world
The People's Bank of China said on Monday 27 October that China will keep the yuan exchange rate stable, according to Reuters, as the fixed currency policy is good for its economy as well that of Asia and the rest of the world.