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ECB takes authority over foreign currency reserves
GERMANY - The European Central Bank (ECB) confirmed Monday, the Irish Times reported, that it must give permission before any euro-zone state can raid its own foreign currency reserves to ease domestic borrowing requirements.
Steps needed to curb money laundering in Kuwait
KUWAIT - Money laundering is illegal but some people manage to get away with it, yesterday disclosed Talal Al-Sayegh from the Central Bank of Kuwait during a lecture organised by the Institute of Banking Studies (IBS).
Major revolution in Nigeria's bank industry begins
NIGERIA - A major revolution in Nigeria's banking industry began Monday with the automation of cheque clearing among all 90 banks in the country. The launching of the Nigerian Automated Clearing System (NACS), an arm of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement…
Philippines SEC outlines plan with central bank
PHILIPPINES - Securities regulators and central bank officials are set to jointly examine investment houses under their jurisdictions in the Philippines.
Poland's central bank warns of bad debt increase
POLAND - The National Bank of Poland (NBP) has published calculations indicating a 21 percent increase in the level of bad debts on loans granted by banks to corporate clients.
'Recovery may be slower' - ECB's Vanhala
GERMANY - European Central Bank (ECB) governing council member Matti Vanhala said Monday that the euro-zone economic recovery may be slower than expected, but an ECB rate cut was unlikely to boost demand significantly.
Tokyo abandons unveiling of bad loans plan
JAPAN - Heizo Takenaka, economy minister and chief bank regulator, was forced to postpone the unveiling of his plan to deal with Japan's bad loans raising suspicions that the ruling Liberal Democratic party has big disagreements with his proposals.
Talk of banks 'capturing' Basle II wide of mark
LETTER - Letter published in the Financial Times, UK edition, 19 October, from Simon Wills, Director, wholesale and regulation team, British Bankers' Association, London.
Britain would be stupid to join the euro
LETTER - Letter published in the Financial Times, UK edition, 22 October, from Theresa Villiers MEP.
BIS Working Paper
RESEARCH - 'Changes in market functioning and central bank policy: an overview of the issues', by Marvin J Barth III, Eli M Remolona and Philip D Wooldridge, October 2002.
Risk Measurement and Systemic Risk
REPORT - A collection of papers that were either presented or are based on presentations at the Third Joint Central Bank Research Conference on Risk Measurement and Systemic Risk, which took place in Basel on 7 and 8 March 2002 at the Bank for…
Federal Reserve Board Discussion Paper
RESEARCH - 'Monetary Union, Price Level Convergence, and Inflation: How Close is Europe to the United States?' by John H. Rogers, published 21 October. In the article the author examines the decline in European price level dispersion and whether this…
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - 'Monetary policy and the zero bound to interest rates: a review', by Tony Yates, October 2002. The paper reviews the literature on what the zero bound to nominal interest rates implies for the conduct of monetary policy. A situation familiar…
Trichet on international financial architecture
SPEECH - In the speech 'The international financial architecture' made on 30 September, Jean-Claude Trichet of the Banque de France discussed the long list of financial crises emerging market economies have gone through in the last two decades. Against…
McDonough on financial resilience
SPEECH - In the speech 'Promoting Financial Resilience' made on 17 October, William J. McDonough of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said a general agreement exists that in order for countries to enjoy sustained and stable growth, a sound and stable…
Bergo on assessing financial stability
SPEECH - In the speech 'Using Financial Soundness Indicators to Assess Financial Stability' made on 17 September, Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said Norges Bank's Financial Stability Reports provide a suitable framework for dialogue with the financial…
Irish Yes vote clears obstacle to EU enlargement
IRELAND - Ireland yesterday ratified the Nice treaty at the second attempt, with an emphatic Yes vote that removes the biggest obstacle in the path to the enlargement of the European Union.
Brazil's Fraga trusts next govt to make right call
BRAZIL - Brazilian Central Bank President Arminio Fraga on Thursday moved to calm markets rattled by persistent concerns about this month's presidential election, saying he expects the next government to make the right economic policy decisions.
BSP chief presses revision of inflation target
PHILIPPINES - Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Rafael Buenaventura made a fresh pitch Friday for revising the government's 2003 target for the inflation rate, noting economic planners' projections of the potential impact of a US-Iraq war on the…
Iran and Bahrain central banks sign banking accord
IRAN - Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohsen Nourbakhsh and Bahraini Central Bank Governor Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed al-Khalifa on Saturday signed an agreement on banking cooperation.
Appointees to Russian c bank's supervisory council
RUSSIA - Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has signed a decree appointing members of the Central Bank's supervisory council, the National Banking Council, Itar-Tass quoted government press service head Alexei Gorshkov as saying Friday.
Jamaica's central bank chief wins highest award
JAMAICA - Monday saw Derick Latibeaudiere, governor of the Central Bank of Jamaica, receive the top national honour for his services to finance.
Vietnam postpones inaugural global bond issue
VIETNAM - Communist Vietnam has postponed its first-ever global bond issue until next year at the earliest, a senior central bank official said Monday.
Iraq's central bank governor visits Burkina Faso
IRAQ - Governor of Central Bank of Iraq Dr. Issam Rasheed Howeish has left Baghdad heading for Burkina Faso to attend the 27th meeting for the council of governors of Islamic Bank for Development due to be held there over the period 22-23 October and…