Monetary Policy
Expansion of Japanese broad money supply
LETTER - In a letter published in Thursday's Financial Times a chief economist explains how the Japanese money supply is increasing through commercial banks buying of government debt as a result of low demand for loans.
Keep floating, stop worrying
FEATURE - The real case for an independent pound has nothing to do with ultra-nationalism or hostility to Europe writes Samuel Brittan in Thursday's Financial Times. He suggests the British government allow use of the euro as a parallel currency and…
Speech by A Santomero of Philadelphia Fed, 27 Mar
SPEECH - Santomero gave a speech titled 'The Importance of Financial Services' in which he said the U.S. economic recovery is well underway and the Fed has time before considering policy adjustments since inflation is contained.
Central bank still basking in Communism
FEATURE - In Russia, "independence" is usually understood as the right to act with impunity and "control" as state intervention. These peculiarities of our national perception of reality were fully in evidence during the recent skirmish over the…
BOJ 'tankan' to show Japan sentiment bottoming out
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's closely watched 'tankan' survey is set to record its first improvement in 18 months, economists say, suggesting the long-suffering economy may be bottoming out on hopes for an export-led rebound.
Decision on HKMA staff wage cuts Thursday
HONG KONG - The Exchange Fund Investment Committee will decide Thursday whether to cut salaries at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority for the new financial year starting next month, the Ming Pao reports.
Korea's c bank union criticises commerce minister
SOUTH KOREA - The labour union of South Korea's central bank blasted the commerce minister on Wednesday over his recent comments on interest rates.
Bulgarian central bank, Oracle to co-operate
BULGARIA - Bulgarian central bank (BNB) and U.S. software giant Oracle signed a two-year memorandum for co-operation on 26 March.
Slovak c bank says joining euro possible in 2007
SLOVAKIA - Central bank Governor Marian Jusko said on Wednesday Slovakia should adopt the single European currency as quickly as possible upon EU membership and urged other candidate countries to consider the same.
Turk PM says IMF reforms cut too much state power
TURKEY - Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said on Wednesday some IMF-backed reforms may have cut state power too much and crisis-hit Turkey's priority must be a return to elusive growth.
Santomero - Govt must actively regulate markets
CZECH REPUBLIC - The lack of transparency in the financial system means that the government must retain a key role in regulating that system, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Anthony Santomero said Wednesday.
Energy prices expected to spur Brazil's inflation
BRAZIL - Strong energy prices are likely to drive Brazil's inflation higher than initially expected this year and next, the country's central bank said Wednesday.
Rise in new home sales add to evidence of recovery
US - The US economy received more signals on Wednesday that a recovery was under way, but the latest reports fuelled speculation about the strength and speed the recovery might display.
Speech by Sirkka Hamalainen of the ECB, 20 Mar
SPEECH - European Central Bank executive board member Hamalainen said on Wednesday she was disappointed by euro zone financial market integration and urged private sector firms to work together to improve it.
Speech by Christian Noyer of the ECB, 22 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'France, Europe, the euro and the ECB' Noyer said that fiscal policy changes in the euro zone would not automatically result in a shift in the ECB's monetary policy.
Financial Stability Forum holds seventh meeting
PRESS RELEASE - The Financial Stability Forum (FSF), chaired by Andrew Crockett, General Manager, Bank for International Settlements, met on 25-26 March in Hong Kong SAR, 26 March.
ECB's Quaden - "More and more signs" worst over
BELGIUM - European Central Bank Governing Council member Guy Quaden welcomed Tuesday the latest reading in German business sentiment, calling it another sign that the euro-zone economy has turned the corner.
San Fran Fed sees silver lining in low saving rate
US - Americans are still not able to squirrel away huge chunks of cash for a rainy day, but we might not have to, a report released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco suggested. And this may be especially true in the Bay Area.
Greek central bank sees eurozone CPI below 2 pct
GREECE - Greece's central bank expects a gradual recovery of economic activity in the eurozone this year with consumer inflation falling below 2.0 percent, governor Lucas Papademos said on Tuesday.
BOJ board voted 8-1 to keep policy unchanged 8 Feb
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's policy board, at a Feb. 8 meeting, voted 8-1 to keep the bank's monetary policy stance unchanged, the BOJ said Tuesday.
Pakistan work to establish modern financial system
FEATURE - As Afghanistan rebuilds, industrialized nations around the world are paying close attention to attempts by neighboring Pakistan to modernize its financial system, reports Nikkei Weekly.
Russia's new central banker in TV interview
FEATURE - Bank deposits in Russia should be at least partially guaranteed by the state. In return, the banks should submit to tighter supervision and higher standards, which will increase public confidence in Russia's banks, the new chairman of Russia's…
Monetary policy in a virtual economy, 27 March
FEATURE - The Reserve Bank launches a web-based monetary policy computer simulation game today whereby the player fights inflation by controlling interest rates in a virtual economy. You play the Governor of the central bank and failure to keep inflation…
NZ central bank launches monetary policy game
NEW ZEALAND - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Wednesday launched a Web-based simulation game that tests players' skills at controlling consumer price inflation.