Monetary Policy
Fed's Greenspan on the current account
In a speech on 'Current account' given on 4 February, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the dollar's decline and fiscal restraint by the US government may soon begin to reduce the US current account deficit, which stood at a record in the third…
Greenspan to testify on Social Security 15 March
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will testify on Social Security on March 15 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the panel said on Thursday 3 February.
Tanigaki says G7 statement likely unchanged
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said the tone of the communique to be issued at the Group of Seven meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors will likely be little changed from last year's, Jiji Press reported.
G7 set to discuss yuan exchange rate
A French official said on Friday 4 February the G7 meeting in London will "evidently address" the question of the Chinese yuan's exchange rate.
Deal for Africa seen in jeopardy
Speaking on Friday 4 February US Treasury Under Secretary appeared to reject a plan to create an International Finance Facility to raise $100 billion a year for African nations.
Richmond Fed's Lacker: Technology & labor markets
In a speech on 'Technology and labor markets' given on 18 January, Jeffrey Lacker of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said technology improvements, not trade, have been the driving force behind US wage and job trends in recent years.
Federal Reserve boosts key interest rate to 2.5%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Wednesday 2 February to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 2-1/2 per cent. In a press release the FOMC said the economy is growing "at a moderate pace despite the rise in energy…
ECB press conference with questions and answers
The ECB kept interest rates on hold on Thursday 3 February; Jean-Claude Trichet said that economic conditions are likely to improve.
US Treasury's Snow to miss G7 meeting
US Treasury Secretary John Snow will not attend the meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers in London this weekend, as he has a chest cold.
Sveriges Riksbank Economic Review 4th Quarter 2004
The Sveriges Riksbank published its Economic Review for the 4th Quarter 2004 on Thursday 3 February. The latest issue contains an address by the Riksbank Governor "A decade of inflation targeting".
China rejects US threat on yuan
A threatened US bill which would give China six months to revalue its exchange rate before facing sanctions was criticised by the Foreign Ministry as the wrong way to handle the situation.
Bank of Mexico sets minimum loan rate
The central bank of Mexico has set a minimum overnight rate to banks for the first time since 1998, suggesting it may adopt an interest-rate targeting system similar to the Fed.
Norges Bank keeps interest rate unchanged at 1.75%
At its monetary policy meeting on 2 February, Norges Bank's Executive Board decided to leave the sight deposit rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent. The Executive Board said it did not see any clear alternatives to leaving the interest rate unchanged.
Central Bank of Ireland, Quarterly Bulletin 1/2005
The Irish central bank published its first Quarterly Bulletin of 2005 on Tuesday 1 February. The Bulletin reports that the outlook for the Irish economy in 2005 remains positive; the Bank is forecasting GNP growth for 2005 of about 4.75 per cent (GDP 5…
Bollard on New Zealand's potential growth rate
In a speech on 'New Zealand's potential growth rate' given on 28 January, Alan Bollard of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand said that if we want to see New Zealand's GDP per capita grow at the same rate over the next decade as it did in the previous ten…
G7 wants to reuse old forex language says Taylor
John Taylor, US Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, has said that the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors want to stick to the script on foreign exchange developments that was first used at a meeting in Boca Raton in February…
Germany expects few ex rate developments at G7
The German government does not expect any significant developments on exchange rate policies at the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) meeting of industrialised nations, AFX quoted sources as saying.
Fed expected to raise rates on 2 Feb
Federal Reserve policymakers were widely expected to agree on a quarter-point increase in interest rates on Wednesday 2 February. The Federal Open Market Committee was expected to issue a statement at the conclusion of the session at about 2015GMT.
BB to introduce automated cheque clearing system
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) is introducing an automated cheque clearing system in its clearing house to quicken the process and boost transactions in commercial banks.
Bank of Japan bill auction fails
The FT reported on Wednesday 2 February that the Bank of Japan failed to attract enough offers in a bill-buying operation for the first time in nearly two and a half years.
Poole on The outlook: Mississippi and the nation
In a speech on 'The outlook: Mississippi and the nation' given on 20 January, William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said US price pressures appear well controlled, but the Federal Reserve will move aggressively to protect low inflation…
Fed's Bies on the economy and retirement savings
In a speech on 'The economy and challenges in retirement savings' given on 18 January, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said she foresaw a moderation of inflationary trends, which would allow the Fed to continue being "measured" in raising…
Sweden's Heikensten on economy & monetary policy
Sveriges Riksbank Governor Lars Heikensten spoke at a meeting on the current state of the economy and monetary policy on 21 Janaury. He said developments in the financial markets are largely in line with the assessment in the previous Inflation Report.
Norway's Bergo on inflation targeting
In a speech on 'The basis for inflation targeting' given on 21 January, Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said that the lesson from Nobel Prize winners Kydland and Prescott was that economic policy can achieve better results if the authorities can commit…