Financial Stability
MAS’s Ong says insurance industry can aid growth
Monetary Authority of Singapore deputy managing director Ong Chong Tee says Asia’s growth prospects are at risk from events in developed countries
Hildebrand and Carney vie for FSB chair
Mario Draghi relinquishes role as head of the Financial Stability Board; race is on to claim the job
Thai banks to 'scale down' operations as floods hit Bangkok
Central bank tells financial institutions to “scale down” to only essential operations in order to safeguard employees; inflation report shows contraction in Thai economy this year
BIS reviews development of macroprudential toolkits
Bank for International Settlements progress report to G-20 says macroprudential framework needs appropriate tools to limit systemic risk; provides broad definition of macroprudential
Rule of thumb is inaccurate method to design reserves policy: IMF paper
Fund study says economic reforms are a more durable policy than international reserves at mitigating effects of external shocks
Cash is still king in low-value transactions: Bank of Canada paper
Bank of Canada study shows cash is still used intensively for low-value transactions due to its speed, merchant acceptance and low costs
FSB releases detail of enhanced shadow banking regulation
New report outlines approach to strengthen the oversight and regulation of the shadow banking system, details the proposed recommendations for intensifying monitoring and enhancing regulation
Iceland splits financial stability and payments department
Central Bank of Iceland splits financial stability and payments group into two distinct units to improve function; new director hired for financial stability department
Greek debt value halved after marathon EU discussions
New Europe crisis resolution deal brokered overnight in Belgium; EFSF extended, Greek debt cut, banks’ capital to rise and governance increased
Lira strengthens as Turkey cuts reserve ratio
Central Bank of Turkey continues battle with falling lira and reduces its reserve requirement ratio by 210 basis points
Governments must ‘earn’ quasi-risk-free status: BIS’s Hannoun
Bank for International Settlements deputy general manager Hervé Hannoun says advanced economy governments can earn back quasi-risk-free status through prudent fiscal policy
European Payments Council raises concerns over Sepa regulation
Representatives from Europe's payments industry say European Union proposals for Sepa regulation are an attempt to abolish preferred direct debit model in region
Korea and China renew currency swap deal early
People’s Bank of China and Bank of Korea agree to renew and expand currency swap arrangement; also discuss converting swap currencies into reserves
Estonia sounds clear warning on Europe crisis contagion
Eesti Pank says strain is growing in Estonia as eurozone crisis spreads to other areas of the region; asks banks to pay close attention to capital levels
New regulatory initiatives pose stability risks: National Bank of Austria paper
National Bank of Austria study says overdose of Tobin tax can lead to severe instability of financial system; ban on short selling increases tail risk
Limited liability leads to excessive risk-taking: IMF paper
Fund study shows excessive risk-taking by banks increases as the interest rate decreases
BoE’s Salmon discusses latest banknote security features
Bank of England banking services executive director Chris Salmon explains use of motion thread in new £50 banknote
ECB threatens to stop trading swaps with US counterparties
ECB invokes US legal amendment providing it with broad immunities and says it might stop using US dealers unless granted exemptions from Dodd-Frank Act rules
Treasury Select Committee grills King
Bank of England governor faces quick-fire questions on quantitative easing and lending to small and medium-sized enterprises; discusses the timing of the latest asset purchase programme boost and reminds government of their responsibilities
Liquidity concerns explain high level of cash transactions: Bundesbank paper
Bundesbank study says high percentage of cash transactions due to consumers' willingness to monitor liquidity
Credit booms fuelled by lax monetary policy: IMF paper
Fund study says accommodative monetary policy was main driver of credit booms in last half century
BoE’s Haldane discusses broad reforms
FPC member calls for comprehensive reform of bankers’ remuneration and warns Basel III may not go far enough
ECB announces new T2S start date
European Central Bank announces T2S project to launch in June 2015; key changes demanded by Advisory Group behind delays
Uganda defends monetary policy
Executive director of research at the Bank of Uganda releases a statement explaining the central bank’s monetary policy; outlines what policy can do and what it cannot