SNB chief economist George Rich retires Nov 01

SWITZERLAND - Georg Rich, chief economist of the Swiss National Bank, has announced that he will take early retirement as of the end of November 2001.

The SNB governing board regretted Rich's decision saying the central bank has lost "an internationally recognised expert on monetary policy".

"His contacts with experts participating in the monetary policy decision-making process abroad and his close relations in the field of research have been of great value to the National Bank", the SNB said