Monetary Policy
New Malaysian PM backs currency peg
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the recently elected Prime Minister of Malaysia, has said he favours the pegging of the country's currency to the US dollar. "I find that our exchange rate mechanism is very beneficial to our economy," Abdullah told a news…
OECD: Japan needs to fix its price problem
The OECD has urged continued reforms in Japan to allow a sustained recovery, according to a report by Pacific Business News. OECD economist Yutaka Imai called on the Japanese government to stimulate economic activity to stop prices from slipping.
Trichet the internationalist
Jean-Claude Trichet, the new president of the ECB, has a reputation as a polished performer. He lived up to it at his first press conference in Frankfurt: first praising his predecessor, apologising when consistency necessitated repetition and peppering…
Slimming down the Bank of Spain
SPECIAL FEATURE - Like all the central banks of the Eurosystem, the Bank of Spain is grappling with the implications of its status as one central bank within the larger federal. CentralBankNet reports from Madrid on how the restructuring is being carried…
ECB's Trichet on financial stability
In a speech on 'Financial stability' given on 26 November, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said the issues generated by the fast evolution of the financial system are very complex and demanding for public authorities. He added that some elements of the…
Tumpel-Gugerell on ECB's monetary policy issues
In a speech on 'ECB's Monetary Policy Issues in the Run-up to Enlargement' given on 14 November, Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the ECB is interested in assisting acceding countries on their way to monetary integration the best way it can. The…
Sweden's Nyberg on financial stability issues
In a speech on 'Current financial stability issues' given on 25 November, Lars Nyberg of the Sveriges Riksbank said the Nordic central banks have a joint working group for discussing cross-border crises, and we have drawn up a memorandum of understanding…
Bahrain to host cb governors for IFSB Council meet
Bahrain will host the 3rd meeting of the Council of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) next week, according to AME info. The governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency said "We are delighted to host such an important gathering of central bank…
BoJ to inject $9.1 billion to help stabilize mkt
The Bank of Japan is prepared to inject $9.1 billion into the financial system in an effort to stabilise markets, according to Associated Press. PM Junichiro Koizumi approved a decision on Saturday 29 November to purchase all of Ashikaga Financial Group…
Buba chief concerned about euro stability, growth
Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke said in an article published at the weekend by Welt am Sonntag that the Stability and Growth Pact has "not yet been buried," but it has been seriously damaged by the decision taken in Brussels. "It is now decisively…
West African central bank host to be named
The location of the West African Central Bank (WACB) will be decided in Ghana next month, according to Vanguard. Nigeria, Ghana and Guinea have all expressed an interest in hosting the WACB.
EBRD sees no sign of banking crisis in Russia
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's senior economist, Ivan Szegvari, has said that Russia is not in danger of a banking crisis similar to August 1998, according to Interfax. At the presentation of the EBRD's report on transition…
Trichet testifies before European Parliament
In testimony before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament given on 1 December Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said since Wim Duisenberg's last testimony in September data have confirmed the ECB's main scenario, which is…
ECB chief: Euro economy recovering
Jean-Claude Trichet urged France and Germany to respect European Union budget rules on Monday 1 December in testimony before the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, according to a report by CNNmoney. He said "It is, in the…
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, November 2003
The Federal Reserve released its November 2003 survey of Current Economic Conditions, known as the Beige Book, on 26 November. The survey said the US economy is now in a broad-based expansion. "Reports received from the district banks suggest that the…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, November 2003
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its November 2003 Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments on 26 November. The Report said the economy was recovering - effectively upgrading its assessment for the third straight…
Trichet: ECB monetary policy strategy after May 03
In a speech on 'The ECB's monetary policy strategy after the evaluation and clarification of May 2003' given on 27 November, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said EMU is based on the conviction that Europe can derive strong benefits from a "culture of…
Poole on U.S. International Capital Flows
In a speech on 'A Perspective on U.S. International Capital Flows' given on 14 November, William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said the forces driving the U.S. capital account represent a persistent, but ultimately temporary, process…
Canada's Dodge on low and predictable inflation
In a speech on 'Low and Predictable Inflation and the Performance of Canadian Labour Markets' given on 20 November, David Dodge of the Bank of Canada said because Canada's monetary policy framework reduces uncertainty about inflation, it helps both firms…
ECB rejects EU proposals re executive board
The European Central Bank has angrily rejected proposals from the Italian EU Presidency that could make it easier for governments to appoint members of the ECB's executive board, according to Biz World. "The governing council of the ECB is seriously…
EU official threatens court action over pact
EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes said on Wednesday 26 November, according to AFP, that the (European) Commission's judicial service is studying the question of whether the ECOFIN ministers' decision this week to effectively let Germany and…
West African cb should be in Ghana - President
Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor has suggested that the headquarters of the proposed West African central bank should be in Ghana, according to a report by GNA. Ghana, he said, has the conducive atmosphere to generate the confidence that would…
Brazil's central bank hint need for more rate cuts
Minutes released by the central bank of Brazil from its monetary policy meeting, reported by AE Brazil, hint that interest rates may need to fall further as projected inflation for the next 12 months and 2004 remain below target.
Trichet's letter to EU Council President
Letter of 26 November from Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank to the President of the Council of the European Union, on the introduction of a new article into the Constitution to allow for the amendment of the ESCB's basic…