Central Banks
Russian central bank holds rigid ruble policy
Oleg Vyugin, first deputy chairman of the Russian central bank, said on Monday 17 November, "So far the Central Bank is not ready to use foreign exchange policy to a full extent to meet inflation target", according to Reuters. His comments followed calls…
Moskow on communicating U.S. monetary policy
In a speech on 'Formulating and Communicating U.S. Monetary Policy' given on 13 November, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said despite all of our econometric models and equations, monetary policy is still more of an art than a…
Caruana: Challenges for European monetary policy
In a speech on 'The European monetary policy: main challenges in the current environment' given on 13 November, Jaime Caruana of the Bank of Spain said the New Accord, the so-called Basel II, is based on three pillars: risk-sensitive minimum capital…
ECB new ruling on central bank capital
CentralBankNet investigates a new ruling by the ECB with wide implications for all the central banks of the euro area. The present situation, under which the national central banks are in effect national investment funds, is uncomfortable. If the ECB…
RBZ calls for concerted fight against inflation
Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank called for a concerted fight against inflation last Thursday, 13 November, according to Associated Press. In its latest weekly economic highlights it said "Given the vagaries of high inflation in the economy, the need for…
Finnish gov't approves central bank Board plan
Finland's government approved a measure on Thursday 13 November, according to Helsingin Sanomat, that would see responsibility for the appointment of members to the Board of the Bank of Finland shift to the Parliamentary Supervisory Council.
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority Annual Report 02
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2002. Managing Director Cindy Scotland said: "It has been yet another busy year for the Monetary Authority most notably in terms of the preparation for independence,…
SARB's inflation targeting made simpler
Changes have been made to the South African Reserve Bank's inflation target making the central bank's task easier, Governor of the SARB, Tito Mboweni said, reports Finance 24. In future it will target the year on year CPIX rate on a continuous basis,…
Thai c bank deputy says: 'Need breathing space'
In a recent interview reported by Dow Jones, deputy governor Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala of the Bank of Thailand said Thailand's recent restrictions on the foreign exchange market will only be temporary, until the domestic market is sufficiently…
Debt reduction could impact on UK rates
Andrew Large said on Monday 17 November that if personal debt was reduced in the UK it could have an impact on interest rates, Reuters reports. In a speech to the City of London Central Banking Conference the Bank of England's Deputy Governor for…
Bundesbank warns eurozone rates may rise soon
The Bundesbank said in its November monthly report, released on Monday 17 November, that the ECB "could" be forced to raise interest rates as "It will be more difficult for monetary policy to guarantee price stability with low interest rates" with some…
China restate goal of eventual yuan convertibility
People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said in an interview published Monday 17 November, reported by Reuters, that foreign exchange controls would gradually be relaxed and there would be a steady push towards convertibility of the yuan.
Riksbank makes statement on 'banknote discrepancy'
Sveriges Riksbank, the central bank of Sweden, released a statement on Friday 14 November regarding a discrepancy which had been discovered in a delivery of new banknotes from Crane AB to the Riksbank's subsidiary.
Interview: Lars Svensson
Lars E.O. Svensson, professor of economics at Princeton University since 2001, is among the most prominent academic advocates of inflation targetting. He is an adviser to the Sveriges Riksbank and a member of the Economic Advisory Panel of the Federal…
On the record
Central Banking reproduces a text of a speech made by Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, at the East Midlands Development Agency/Bank of England dinner in Leicester October 14.
Why central banks need financial strength
What are the tell tale signs of a weak central bank? Peter Stella peers into the murky world of central bank balance sheets to find out.
The looming crisis in international payments
Central bank holders of dollar balances face the prospect of massive further losses as the United States adjusts its external payments through a necessary fall in the dollar.
The Duisenberg years
Is the ECB's reputation in the markets for poor communication of a poor strategy justified? Charles Wyplosz reflects on Wim Duisenberg's time as president.
How will Trichet speak?
Staff writer Benedict Mander contemplates the outlook for Jean-Claude Trichet's eight-year term as president of the ECB from the point of view of the public relations challenges he faces.
Can central banks be efficient?
Inflation targeting has focused policymakers' minds on central banks' performance. But can all central bank tasks be assessed? Neil Courtis investigates value for money in central banking.
What next for the G20?
The G20's breadth of membership is starting to give it a voice in official discussions of international monetary issues, says Marc Uzan.
Investment portfolio techniques at a central bank
Etienne Lavigne discusses the appropriate reserve management framework and mix of portfolio techniques for a central bank.