Monetary Policy
Trichet's nomination, ECB President to be approved
The European Parliament will debate the nomination of Jean-Claude Trichet as the next President of the European Central Bank (ECB) on 23 September.
Norway's interest rates lowered again
Norges Bank cut interest rates by 0.5% to 2.5% on Wednesday, according to Aftenposten. Central bank governor Svein Gjedrem said that with an interest rate of 2.50 per cent, Norges Bank's assessment is that the probability that inflation two years ahead…
IMF lowers its growth forecast for euro zone
The IMF cut its growth forecast to 0.5 percent this year from an April forecast of 1.1 per cent, according to a report by Bloomberg. The report also said while the euro's exchange rate has "stabilised", the US fiscal and current account deficits, as well…
Fed leaves key interest rate at 1 percent
The Federal Reserve signalled on Tuesday 16 September that interest rates would be kept low for a "considerable period", according to Associated Press. The Fed's assurances in August and this month that it will keep rates low for a considerable period…
RBA signals no more interest rate cuts
Reserve Bank of Australia deputy governor Glenn Stevens said on Wednesday 17 September "Although in early June a case to ease looked like it was building, it had not strengthened sufficiently by the time of the July meeting to warrant action", reports…
MPC minutes point to UK interest rates rise
Bank of England minutes released September 17 show that for a majority on the MPC, it was a "clear-cut" decision to leave rates unchanged in September. The decision to hold the Bank's main interest rate at 3.5 per cent was decisive, but for some members…
Zimbabwe tries to tame cash crisis with new money
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe intends to introduce "bearer cheques" next week in an attempt to alleviate the desperate shortage of cash in the country, Sapa AFP reports. The cheques were printed on banknote paper, looked like banknotes and were as "good…
Norges Bank statement on interest rate cut
Statement from Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, on its decision to reduce the sight deposit rate, by 0.5 percentage point to 2.50 per cent, with effect from 18 September.
Bank of Spain's Jaime Caruana on Basel II
In an interview with reuters, the Governor of the Bank of Spain, Jaime Caruana, said there is a unanimous understanding of the need for Basel II. .It is a completely new approach and in that sense you could say that it is a kind of revolution. He…
RBNZ Monetary Policy Challenge winner announced
Tawa College, Wellington, has won the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's 2003 Monetary Policy Challenge school competition, held on 16 September.
Nickell on Two Current Monetary Policy Issues
In a speech on 'Two Current Monetary Policy Issues' given on 16 September Stephen Nickell of the Bank of England said in the long run, thanks to differences in computational methods and the absence of the housing depreciation and council tax elements,…
Tumpel-Gugerell on payments and confidence
In a speech on 'Payments and confidence - the views of the Eurosystem' given on 16 September Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the ECB - entrusted with the objective of the smooth functioning of payment systems - plays its role as a "watchdog" for…
Why inflation targeting is an inexact science
An article in the Independent says that in the past stronger-than-expected growth might have been a good reason to raise interest rates but if, today, stronger than expected growth results from the same process as lower-than-expected inflation, all our…
Bank of Japan upgrades view of economy
The Bank of Japan raised its assessment of the Japanese economy in its September monthly report, published on September 16. According to Associated Press, the report said that "Economic activity still continues to be virtually flat as a whole although…
BoE Nickell: HICP will not affect monetary policy
Speaking on September 16 Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Stephen Nickell said, according to AFX UK, that the move to the HICP measure of inflation later this year would have little noticeable difference in the short run and in the long…
Fed economist- Inflation target brings credibility
St. Louis Fed economist William Gavin said on Monday 15 September that a formal inflation target would not be a big constraint on the Fed's freedom to set monetary policy and that the U.S. central bank's current commitment to keeping inflation stable was…
Cuba central bank chief says forex control working
Cuban central bank President Francisco Soberon said on September 15 that foreign exchange controls on state enterprises has substantially increased the central bank's reserves and made it easier to implement monetary policy, according to Reuters.
Bosnian central bank chief allays bankruptcy fears
The Governor of the central bank of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Peter Nicholl, has rejected claims that the country could soon go bankrupt, saying that foreign debt is moderate, according to a report by HINA news agency.
G17 Plus moves to discredit Serbian c bank chief
Serbia's G17 Plus political party has filed an official request with the Serbian Constitutional Court to check the legality of central bank governor Kori Udovicki's appointment, according to Beta News.
Wim Duisenberg on Sweden's euro referendum
In a statement made September 14 ECB President Wim Duisenberg said he took note of the result but said the "outcome of the referendum will neither have an impact on the European Central Bank's policies and operation nor on the euro's position".
Bank of England Inflation Attitudes Survey, Aug 03
The Bank of England's August 2003 quarterly Inflation Attitudes Survey was published on 15 September. Median expectations of inflation over the coming year were 2.2%, up from 2.0% in May. Respondents were asked to assess the way the Bank of England is …
IMF launches website in Arabic
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on September 11 launched an Arabic language section of its website that provides information about the IMF in Arabic.
The Riksbank on the result of the euro referendum
Statement by the Sveriges Riksbank on the decision of Sweden to reject the introduction of the euro on September 14. "The result of the referendum means that the forecasts of inflation in Sweden 1-2 years ahead will continue to determine the way monetary…
South African Reserve Bank - Annual Report 2003
The South African Reserve Bank has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2003. Developments and concerns about the growth prospects of major industrialised countries had a significant impact on South Africa's economic performance during the past…