Monetary Policy
IMF criticises Ukraine's bank refinancing program
The IMF has criticised the National Bank of Ukraine's long-term bank refinancing program, reports Interfax, saying it may distort the credit market, limit monetary policy flexibility and increase government spending.
Brown pledges not to fix euro entry tests
Gordon Brown said on Wednesday 18 June that the five euro entry tests would not be fixed, in a report in the Financial Times, and that the review in next year's budget of reforms aiming to create convergence between the UK and eurozone economies would…
South Asian ACU considers central clearing house
The Asian Clearing Union meeting in India has proposed the establishment of a central clearing house to facilitate faster risk-free clearing and settlement of transactions among member countries, according to the Daily Star.
Andrew Large to head financial system taskforce
Deputy governor of the Bank of England for Financial Stability, Sir Andrew Large, has been asked to establish a taskforce to examine the possible need for legislative powers in the event of major operational disruption to the UK financial system.
Fed awards contract for bank data modernisation
Regulators award contract in first step to modernize and streamline how federal bank regulators collect, process and distribute quarterly bank financial reports, 17 June.
ECB public consultation announced
The European Central Bank has announced a public consultation aimed at improving the collateral framework of the eurosystem, 11 June.
Bank of England MPC Minutes 4/5 June 2003
Minutes of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee Meeting were released on 18 June for the meeting of 4 and 5 June 2003. The minutes showed that the MPC was split 6-3 in favour of maintaining interest rates at 3.75%. Kate Barker, Marian Bell and…
Duisenberg on the first lustrum of the ECB
In a speech on 'The first lustrum of the ECB' Wim Duisenberg of the European Central Bank said the Convention on the Future of Europe has not taken over our suggestion to incorporate somewhere in the text the notion of Eurosystem, which stands for the…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, June 2003
The Bank of Japan published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, June 2003, on 13 June. In the report the BOJ said public investment is projected to follow a declining trend, and private consumption is likely to remain weak…
Reconciling Bagehot with Fed's response to Sept 11
Walter Bagehot, an elder statesman of central banking theory, stated that central banks should lend money at penalty rates to prevent bank panics. Yet the Fed lent for next to nothing following 9/11. Why this departure from received central banking…
Trichet acquitted in court, keeping ECB bid alive
The long running court case involving charges of falsifying accounts against Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet concluded on on Wednesday 18 June with his acquittal in a Paris court, Bloomberg reports. The verdict is likely to clear the way for…
Nigerian cb denies governor's resignation
The central bank of Nigeria denied on Tuesday 17 June that its governor, Dr Joseph Sanusi, had resigned over price instability, according to the Vanguard website. A CBN spokesman said the governor was "thoroughly embarrassed" by the story.
Poland's fin min plans tough dialogue with c bank
Poland's new finance minister Andrzej Raczko has said he plans tough talks with the country's central bank, but he also sees room for agreement and understanding of both sides, according to Polish Radio.
RBI deputy governor Kamesam gets 3-month extension
Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Vepa Kamesam's term has been extended to the end of September, according to a report by Business Standard. His two-year term was due to end in the last week of June.
ECB Succession: Randzio-Plath welcomes judgement
Statement by the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs Christa Randzio-Plath on the judgement in the Credit Lyonnais case, 18 June.
ACU central bank governors tour software company
After a busy day of negotiations central bank governors of the eight countries in the Asian Clearance Union visited software major Infosys Technologies, according to The Hindu.
Kansas City Fed gets approval to move to new HQ
President Thomas M. Hoenig of the Kansas City Fed said on Monday 16 June that the Federal Reserve had approved plans for an estimated $200 million project to build a new headquarters for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, according to the Kamsas…
Serdengecti on an overview of the Turkish economy
In a speech made in London Wednesday 18 June, Sureyya Serdengecti of the Central Bank of Turkey said formal inflation targeting will be adopted when conditions allow. Including a favourable internal environment, sustained fiscal discipline, reduction in…
No serious SARS impact on financial sector: PBOC
The People's Bank of China has said there is no indication of a severe impact by the SARS virus on China's financial secto, according to a report by the People's Daily.
Minneapolis Fed president upbeat about economy
Gary Stern of the Minneapolis Fed said he thinks there is a low probability of deflation in the US, but would not rule it out, according to Associated Press. The problem in Japan, he said, is inadequate growth of the money supply and allocation of too…
C bank governors to attend ACU meeting
Central bankers from the eight members of the Asian Clearing Union will meet to discuss the future of the union and admitting new members, according to NDTV The objectives of ACU include conservation of Forex and the promotion of monetary cooperation…
MPC recruit Lambert urges UK Treasury drop secrecy
The most recent member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee called for openness and transparency in the selection process of appointees to the MPC when facing the Treasury select committee on Monday 16 June, according to a report by the…
Japan's support for inflation targeting grows
Minutes of the Bank of Japan's April meeting published on Monday 16 June showed that at least two of the BoJ's nine policy board members favour the introduction of a "reference rate of inflation" to halt deflation, according to a report in the Financial…
Banco de Mexico sues over loans
The central bank of Mexico announced on Monday 16 June that it had sued four of the country's largest banks to release information related to bad loans during the mid-1990s peso crisis, according to Reuters.