Payments
Majority of central banks increased payment system budget in 2023
Nearly half of central banks say resourcing is not sufficient
Average cost of running RTGS systems is $1.8 million
Annual costs slightly higher than last year’s benchmark
Oman central bank joins Afaq payments system
System is operated by company owned by Gulf region’s central banks
Most RTGS systems operate between seven and 12 hours daily
More than 40 institutions on average have direct access to infrastructure
Most central banks optimistic about tokenisation
Programmability, digital signatures and enhanced security are some purported benefits
Qatar to test large payments using CBDC
Central bank says it will test AI and distributed ledger technology
Slightly over half of payments teams outsource services to third parties
Contracting central banks provide information on attendant risks and precautionary measures
Payments staff strength averages close to 30 personnel
Employees in the Americas collect highest average annual salary
Fewer than half of central banks involved in pricing payments
But Asia-Pacific and African institutions are typically do engage in pricing
Cross-border payments key to boosting riel, Cambodian governor says
QR payments set to expand to India and Japan, as central bank aims for independent monetary policy
Over a third of central banks say retail payments are diversifying
Americas and Asia-Pacific tend to report diversification, as tech and regulation drives change
Over half of central banks have payments oversight powers
Networks and international remittance supervision only covered in a few jurisdictions
Retail CBDC complexity may discourage adoption, says research
Kansas City Fed author argues Caribbean CBDCs have struggled to add value
RBA report looks at cross-border payments
Multilateral platform would be more scalable than bilateral links, Australian central bank says
Day-to-day payments too reliant on big tech – BdF deputy
Digital euro will not create a European ‘Big Brother’, Denis Beau says
Payment fraud is on the rise in Denmark and Sweden
Scammers and fraudsters are moving to digital realm
Moldovan instant payments system used over 100,000 times
Central bank says new system’s use will expand to businesses this year
RBI increases payments surveillance during elections
Indian central bank tells system operators to watch for suspicious transactions, report says
RBNZ seeks views on design of ‘digital cash’
New Zealand central bank continues proof-of-concept work on “private and secure” CBDC
BoE’s digital securities sandbox to lead to new regulatory regime
Five-year project to open for applications this summer
Africa’s CMA revamps cross-border payments over AML fears
Central Bank of Lesotho officials say the transition should be smooth but challenging
Laos and Brunei join Asian cross-border payments initiative
Laotian and Thai central banks also launch new cross-border payments link
Digital payments in Saudi Arabia rise to 70% of retail transactions
Transactions processed through national payment systems hit 10.8 billion
US fiscal stimulus boosted vehicle price pressures – Fed research
Vehicle sales driven by consumer and small business stimulus, say Fed researchers