Monetary Policy
Central banks expect South American inflation to stabilise
Inflation rising in several countries in South America, but central bank heads in region suggest it will ‘moderate’ when supply shocks dissipate and exchange rates normalise
Czech board expects strong growth showing
Board members at the Czech National Bank caught off guard by strong growth in first quarter, minutes show, but expect stronger-than-forecasted growth for rest of year
Solomon Islands increases flexibility of currency
Annual report reveals Central Bank of Solomon Islands scrapped its policy of restricting the movement of its currency against the US dollar on any given day, but retained peg against basket
Varoufakis out as Greeks vote No
Greek finance minister steps down despite 62.5% of voters backing the government’s position by rejecting the latest proposals; Eurogroup says ball in Greece’s court
Minutes show ECB happy to ‘look through’ volatility
Governing council carefully considered market volatility including the increase in government bond yields in June meeting, concluding it had not ‘materially altered’ economic outlook
Albanian governor warns of ‘fragile’ inflation
Gent Sejko says supervisory council will likely keep key interest rate low ‘for some quarters ahead’ with inflation forecast to remain below target in 2015
SNB paper: both monetary and macro-prudential policy impact arrears
Working paper suggests monetary policy impacts the affordability problems that drive arrears in the short term, while macro-prudential policy can help prevent longer-term problems
Riksbank cuts key rate and expands QE to curb krona risks
Swedish central bank cuts repo rate to -0.35% and will buy additional 45 billion krona worth of government bonds to prevent stronger currency or Greek collapse from derailing inflation
Varoufakis to stand down if Greeks vote 'Yes'
Greek finance minister says he will quit if the public votes to accept the latest terms offered to Greece in the July 5 referendum; demands debt restructuring as part of any deal
Fischer warns developing countries may not be ready for inflation targeting
Fed vice-chair tells audience of African central bankers no framework is ‘suitable for all countries for all times’ and cautions against adopting inflation targets before financial markets are ready
Bank of Mexico moves policy decisions after Fed meetings
Mexican central bank delays remaining policy decisions so they fall a few days after FOMC announcements; wants to be able to react to rate hike ‘in a timely manner’
IMF paper finds leaning against the wind can work, but it is not optimal
Researchers conclude monetary policy can be used to reduce systemic risks if other, more targeted policy options are unavailable, but macro-prudential policy produces better outcomes
Greek PM offers concessions but backs referendum
Leaked letter suggests Alex Tsipras is willing to accept many of the latest proposals in exchange for a new bailout programme; European leaders awaiting outcome of July 5 referendum
BoE’s Weale outlines idea of one man, one hundred votes
Giving each MPC member 100 votes to cast would allow them to indicate much more nuanced positions and could make for better policy, Martin Weale says
Research calls on Fed to replace ‘dot plot’
Working paper published by the IMF suggests publishing a baseline forecast compiled by staff and 'endorsed' by the FOMC as a replacement for individual and anonymous projections
Haldane blames ‘dread risk’ for ultra-low rates
Exaggerated fear of catastrophic but rare events may be a factor behind stubbornly low interest rates, Bank of England chief economist says
Glenn Stevens sees limits to central bank communication
Reserve Bank of Australia governor argues central banks cannot communicate its response to ‘all possible future states of the world’ and the audience is only after a ‘simple story’ anyway
IMF paper weighs impact of low rates on instability
Working paper suggests the ineffective regulatory framework in the US was more to blame for the occurrence and severity of the crisis than low interest rates
Juncker tells Greece to vote ‘yes’ in referendum
European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker calls on Greeks to vote in favour of latest proposals, urging them not to ‘commit suicide because one is afraid of death’
Greek banks shut for a week as ECB freezes emergency fund
Banks closed and ATM withdrawals capped after the ECB's governing council freezes the supply of emergency liquidity; Greek government calls referendum on latest proposals for July 5
BIS calls for new paradigm in economic policy
Annual report argues broken international monetary system and low productivity reflects failure to ‘come to grips’ with how financial and real economies interact, domestically and globally
IMF paper offers advice on transition to inflation-targeting regimes
Guide to switching monetary policy regime recommends gradual approach to ‘buy time’ for central bank adaptation
Schäuble says Greek outcome now '50-50'
German finance minister warns against losing the ‘remaining credibility’ of the monetary union in speech in Frankfurt; debt negotiations finely poised with IMF deadline looming
BoJ paper sees signs of structural shift in pricing behaviour
Study finds rising exchange rate pass-through is in large part the result of a change in firms’ pricing behaviour, although why behaviour has changed remains unclear