Central Banking staff
Follow Central Banking
Articles by Central Banking staff
Euro inflation at new low, OECD wants more easing
The OECD on Tuesday urged the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates further and apply quantitative easing in a bid to stave off a severe economic contraction. The calls came as it emerged eurozone annual inflation in March had dropped to its lowest…
China vows to expand currency-swap operations
The People's Bank of China pledged on Tuesday to expand its network of swap lines with other central banks days after agreeing a Rmb70 billion ($10.2 billion) arrangement with Argentina.
Europe's and Japan's fiscal actions procyclical
Discretionary fiscal policy tended to be procyclical in continental European countries and Japan, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
Limits to safety net support - Richmond's Lacker
It is of paramount importance to clearly define the boundaries of future safety net support, said Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve.
Bank Negara Malaysia - Annual Report 2008
The year 2009 will be a highly challenging year for the Malaysian economy, said Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the governor of the central bank, in the latest Annual Report.
Tucker: macroprudential is more than macro + micro
A macroprudential approach to financial supervision requires more than simply bringing together the central bank's macroeconomists and the regulator's line supervisors, said Paul Tucker, a deputy governor of the Bank of England.
We won't let banks fail - Nigeria's Soludo
Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said on Monday that the central bank will not allow any of the domestic banks to fail.
ECB issues Sepa "expectations"
The European Central Bank (ECB) published a list of expectations on Friday for how it would like to see stakeholders act to implement the Single Euro Payments Area or Sepa, amid concerns that the initiative will be swept aside by the financial crisis.
SWFs look beyond Santiago
Although agreement on the Santiago Principles for sovereign wealth funds represents a remarkable achievement, the proof of their effectiveness will come in the implementation phase that has now started.
A proposal to aid emerging-market stability
Ousmene Mandeng, the head of public sector investment advisory at Ashmore, an asset management firm, believes there is a more efficient way for emerging market central banks to use their reserves to stave off a disorderly unwinding of their capital…
Data on home-host banking activity inadequate
Data on international banking activity remain largely inadequate for surveillance and policymaking purposes, new research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) posits.
Sharp decline in inflation a plus - RBI's Subbarao
The sharp decline of India's headline inflation is an advantage for the country's policymakers as they respond to the current economic conditions, said Duvvuri Subbarao, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Atlanta's Lockhart: exports won't save US
Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, does not expect a sudden return of exports as a driver of recovery in the United States in the remainder of 2009.
Fed's Stern: recession could end in mid-2009
In one of the most bullish assessments of the state of the US economy by an official of the Federal Reserve since the start of the crisis, Gary Stern, the long-serving president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said that the recovery could…
When will the sovereigns return - and how?
Participants in a conference on the management of sovereign assets and reserves, hosted by Central Banking Publications, were split over when public investors will regain their appetite for risk following significant losses during the current financial…
Zimbabwean prices stabilise after dollarisation
Zimbabwe's Central Statistical Office has announced that prices in the ravaged Southern African nation have started to fall since the adoption of the US dollar.
Zhou warns against trust in external ratings
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, voiced concern about the role of rating agencies in an essay posted on the central bank's website.
Cooperation between leaders and banks essential
As the world responds to financial and economic turmoil, the industry and authorities must work together as never before, says Angela Knight, the chief executive of the British Bankers' Association (BBA).
Inflation-targeting regime improves policy
During the Bank of England's inflation-targeting regime, monetary policy shocks have been more muted and inflation expectations have been lower than before, a new paper from the central bank posits.
BoJ's Yamaguchi: private sector key driver
Fiscal and monetary policies are no more than a crutch to facilitate adjustments in and the positive efforts of the private sector, said Hirohide Yamaguchi, a deputy governor of the Bank of Japan.
More interest-rate info from Chile's De Gregorio
As part of its process of increasing transparency, the Central Bank of Chile has improved the level of detail of interest rate information being made available, said Jose De Gregorio, the governor of the Central Bank of Chile.
ECB's Papademos calls for macroprudential schema
The establishment of a framework for macroprudential supervision is urgently needed, said Lucas Papademos, the vice president of the European Central Bank.
Wellink eyes caps on bonuses and hedge funds
Nout Wellink, the chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and president of the Netherlands Bank, has called for international principles for bonuses and financial sector pay.
Geithner open to Zhou suggestion, but backs buck
Tim Geithner, the US Treasury secretary, said on Wednesday that he was open to People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan's suggestion of expanding the use of special drawing rights (SDRs) but affirmed the dollar's strength.