Financial Stability
Bank Negara Malaysia MobileLINK bus begins tour
Malaysian central bank launches mobile customer service bus; part of efforts in promoting financial inclusion by extending the outreach programme to a wider community
Sluggish growth outlook forces ECB to take drastic action
European Central Bank lowers rates by 25 basis points as sovereign debt crisis weighs in on growth; Governing Council reveals new liquidity measures to ease funding conditions
Management of South African Mint Company suspended
South African Reserve Bank announces mystery 'technical issues' uncovered; top management suspended with immediate effect
Osborne to drive through BoE’s new supervisory powers
UK chancellor wants to drive through legislation granting the Bank of England statutory power for prudential supervision; ring-fencing left out of Financial Services Bill
US regulatory agencies issue new market risk capital rule proposals
US federal bank regulatory agencies remove references to rating agencies in new market risk capital rule proposal; change aids compliance with Dodd-Frank Act
SARB issues bleak Quarterly Bulletin
Latest quarterly bulletin from South African Reserve Bank says economy has grown at ‘lacklustre’ pace; inflation hit upper limit of target range in October
Kohn talks of macro-prudential policy ‘infancy’
Donald Kohn tells US audience about the UK’s Financial Policy Committee; explains the “consistent and systematic” application of macro-prudential policies is still developing
IMF researchers label asset managers collateral ‘mines’
Paper highlights lack of attention paid to rise of asset managers as a major source of funding for banks through shadow banking system
CB.com panel discusses changes in reserve management functions
CentralBanking.com poses the question: What do central banks want from reserves and reserve managers? Panellists discuss how the financial crisis has altered the role of reserve managers
Choongsoo warns of lurching global crisis
Bank of Korea governor Choongsoo Kim says world risks another crisis if global imbalances are not addressed
Credit subsidies can counteract bust cycles: IMF paper
Fund case study of Serbia shows use of credit subsidies during the financial crisis was effective in mitigating decline in output
Lagarde calls Arab Spring a ‘beacon of light’
Christine Lagarde expresses her hope for the countries affected by the Arab Spring uprisings; calls on international community to support the growth of economies in the region
Eurozone faces big test as EFSF downgrade looms
European Financial Stability Facility's credit rating could be downgraded after Standard and Poor's places the sovereign ratings of Germany and France on negative watch
IMF paper on how to better manage commodity price cycles
Fund study shows that flexible exchange rate regimes help shield commodity-exporting countries from sudden declines in commodity prices
Markets will drive policymakers into action: Denmark’s Bernstein
National Bank of Denmark governor Nils Bernstein says eurozone governments are short of solutions to debt crisis but must reach a consensus
Cyprus governor warns country has 'lost credibility'
Athanasios Orphanides tells parliamentary committee that budget measures must be pushed through quickly to restore confidence in Cyprus; warns the country has lost credibility
Philippines banking sector liberalisation continues
Central Bank of the Philippines awards seven banks the right to open 162 branches in previously 'restricted' zones; next phase in the liberalisation of the domestic banking sector
FSB consultative group for the Americas gathers in Mexico
Central bank governors Agustín Carstens and José De Gregorio co-chair first regional group meeting to exchange views on key financial stability issues
Debt crises lead to sharp and protracted recessions: IMF paper
Fund study shows debt crises reduce output growth by about 10 percentage points and last an average of eight years
NALM Africa 2011: African central banks rethink reserves allocations
The drop-off in US Treasury yields and concern about a eurozone sovereign collapse has prompted a number of African central banks to review their reserves allocations
Central Bank of Tunisia makes plea to government
Newly formed interim government must act to restore investor confidence, says board of directors; calls for independence of the central bank to be protected
US Senate passes sanctions on Central Bank of Iran
US Senate passes sanctions aimed at Iran's crucial oil industry; measure will prevent financial institutions from doing business with US and Iran, forcing them to choose
Credit booms linked to financial crisis – IMF paper
IMF working paper shows credit growth becomes less dependent on bank soundness during boom periods
Fed paper details highs and lows in Spanish economic activity
Researchers point to change between 2007 and 2011 as one of the worst in Spanish economic history