Monetary Policy
ECB Monthly Bulletin January 2002
REPORT - The European Central Bank published its January 2002 Monthly Bulletin on 24 January.
ECB sees gradual recovery in 2002, lower inflation
GERMANY - The European Central Bank said on Thursday the euro zone economy showed signs of a recovery later this year and reiterated inflation should drop safely below its two-percent ceiling.
Bank of Canada Monetary Policy Report Update
REPORT - The Bank of Canada has released its Update to the November Monetary Policy Report, in which it discusses economic and financial trends in the context of Canada's inflation-control strategy, 23 January.
Speech by David Dodge, Governor of Bank of Canada
SPEECH - In the speech Dodge said that economic developments in Canada since the November Report, and the profile for growth outlined in the Update, suggest that the amount of slack in the economy through 2002 will likely be somewhat greater than assumed…
Bank of Canada Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Canada lowers key policy interest rate by 1/4 percentage point to 2 per cent, 15 January.
Voters 'will back euro' if economic tests passed
UK - Tony Blair would win a euro referendum just by saying that Britain had passed the five economic tests for joining, according to a poll published on Wednesday.
US economists to free up Argentine bank system
ARGENTINA - Adam Lerrick and Allan Meltzer, two prominent US economists, have proposed a new scheme to allow Argentines to use the money locked up in the banking system without triggering a collapse of the banks - arguably the single largest problem…
How to find a president for the ECB
FRANCE - A short question and answer session about the European Central Bank presidency published in the London edition of the Financial Times, 24 January.
French firm sues over euro notes
FRANCE - Have euro notes design breached copyright? A French company claims a map of Europe printed on every euro bank note breaches a copyright it owns on the design. The ECB does not agree.
Greenspan: US economy is picking up
US - The US economy seems finally to be climbing out of recession, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said.
The Inflation Forecast and the Loss Function
RESEARCH - A new paper by Lars E.O Svensson, Princeton University, CEPR and NBER, December 2001.
BIS research papers
RESEARCH - Research from the BIS 'Comparing monetary policy operating procedures across the United States, Japan and the euro area', Monetary and Economic Department, Bank for International Settlements, December 2001.
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Minutes
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Meeting held on 9 and 10 January 2002. Release date 23 January 2002.
Speech by Dr Bimal Jalan, Reserve Bank of India
SPEECH - In the speech 'Indian Banking and Finance: Managing New Challenges' Bimal Jalan said that uncertainty over the economic situation was likely to continue for the next six to nine months, but India is likely to show one of the highest rates of…
Speech by Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan
SPEECH - In the speech by Ishrat Hussain he said that the economic policy makers have identified SME as one of the priority drivers of economic growth and employment in the country.
Bank chiefs unanimous on rate freeze
UK - Bank of England gurus in charge of setting interest rates voted unanimously in favour of a rate freeze this month.
Singapore's MAS to issue currency notes, coins
SINGAPORE - The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will expand its responsibilities to include the issuance of currency notes and coins from March next year, officials said Wednesday.
RBA appoints new assistant governor economic
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank today announced the appointment of Dr Malcolm Edey as assistant governor (economic).
Duisenberg - No need to change ECB team yet
ITALY - European Central Bank Governor Wim Duisenberg said in remarks published on Wednesday it was unlikely he would complete his full term as the head of the bank but said the management team should not be changed yet.
Speech by Eddie George, Bank of England Governor
SPEECH - In the speech George said that while an increasingly global economy served to boost living standards worldwide the fact that many poorer nations had unequal access to free markets meant more must be done to help them through the careful…
Speech by Christopher Allsopp of Bank of England
SPEECH - Charles Allsopp said in the speech that maintaining a stable rate of economic growth should be given a clearer role in the policy framework of the European Central Bank and that greater symmetry in inflation targetting had worked well in Britain…
Allsopp - ECB should have stable growth aim
UK - Maintaining a stable rate of economic growth should be given a clearer role in the policy framework of the European Central Bank, a senior Bank of England official said on Wednesday.
IMF Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - IMF, World Bank Conclude Joint Poverty Reduction Strategy Conference, 18 January.
Afghan banker picks up pieces of a ruined system
FEATURE - Abdul Qadir Fitrat, possibly the world's youngest central bank governor at 38, has just taken up perhaps the world's most hair-raising central bank challenge - restoring Afghanistan's ruined financial system.