Central Banks
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…
HKMA Quarterly Bulletin, September 2003
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on September 15 published the latest issue of its Quarterly Bulletin. This issue contains feature articles including "The Profitability of the Banking Sector in Hong Kong" - analysing the evolution of profitability…
European Parliament on the referendum in Sweden
The Chair of the European Parliament's Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs Christa Randzio-Plath said on September 15 that the Swedish euro vote shows that we politicians have been unable to get the message across to voters - that the Euro will…
Euro rejection will cost Sweden: Prodi
Sweden's "nej" to the euro on September 14 will have both an economic and political price to pay, European Commission president Romano Prodi said. Final results showed the vote split decisively in favour of the no's on 56% against 42% in favour of…
RBZ governor's post not offered to anyone
Highly-placed Government sources said at the weekend that the post of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor has not been offered to anyone, the Zimbabwe Herald said. Reports last week said that Government interference in the running of the RBZ was scaring…
Philippines central bank targeted with phone scam
Fraudsters in the Philippines are offering members of the public the chance to win the "anniversary raffle" of 2 million pesos, Reuters reported. People are told to call a number where they will hear a recorded message from the central bank governor…
China says no currency revaluation soon
Li Yang, a member of the People's Bank of China monetary policy committee, said China will keep the value of its currency, the yuan, stable but gradually allow it to trade in a wider range, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Bank of France expects modest recovery
The Bank of France said on September 15 it expects French gross domestic product to expand 0.3 percent on a quarterly basis between July and September, reversing the second quarter's 0.3 percent contraction, according to the Associated Press.
Malaysian c bank's Zeti says ringgit peg to remain
Malaysia's central bank chief Zeti Akhtar Aziz told reporters that the government will only make a review on re-pegging the ringgit if there is a significant fundamental structural change within the region, AFX Asia said.
Trichet's law
This article in the Financial Times accuses Jean-Claude Trichet of portraying himself on Thursday as less willing to understand the problems of the European economy than Wim Duisenberg, the current ECB president. His unfortunate choice of words was…
Polish central bank rapped over computer tender
The National Bank of Poland has caused uproar among computer producers after a tender it held for new machines allegedly favoured just one manufacturer, according to the Polish News Bulletin.
Bank of Japan leaves monetary policy unchanged
The Bank of Japan said on Friday 12 September at the end of its two-day meeting that it would leave monetary policy unchanged,according to AFX-ASIA. The BoJ said in a three-paragraph statement that the central bank will "conduct money market operations,…
Bank of Spain governor to appear before congress
The governor of the Bank of Spain, Jaime Caruana, is set to appear before a congressional commission on Wednesday 17 September to report on the way the central bank has handled the Eurobank situation, according to a report by Expansion.