Reserves
UK Royal Mint to use blockchain to track gold trades
System will track ownership of gold traded on new platform without the need of a central database; new system will charge small transaction fees but abolish storage fees
Central Bank of Barbados governor ‘concerned’ about level of reserves
Barbados central bank tweaks securities requirement ratio amid foreign exchange shortage; less than 10 weeks of import coverage remain
SNB profits hit record high
Swiss franc’s depreciation and high stock prices fuel the rise in revenues in the first three quarters
The optimal size for central bank balance sheets
As the Fed seeks to reduce the assets on its balance sheets, Charles Goodhart examines the role between monetary and fiscal policy, central bank and debt office, and the optimal size of a central bank’s balance sheet
Xi sees renminbi taking greater role in global monetary system
President Xi Jinping calls for quality and equality of growth rather than speed; flags plans to promote renminbi as global reserve currency
Bahamian central bank proposes law change to cap government debt holdings
New legal framework for Bahamas central bank would enforce “comprehensive” limits on government debt; holdings of long-term government debt stand at 12.52%
Ethiopia launches ‘first of its kind’ swap agreement with Sudan
Central banks to swap $16 million under new agreement designed to strengthen financial co-operation and ease Ethiopia’s foreign exchange pressures
Government funds at T&T central bank nearly exhausted
Trinidad and Tobago governor warns government has used 99.7% of its overdraft; finance minister blames former administration for depleted funds
IMF tells Bahamas central bank to reduce government bond holdings
Central bank increased holdings after Hurricane Matthew negatively impacted growth last year; levels of reserves remain stable, fund says
Iraq suspends dollar payments to some Kurdish banks
Future of agreement on oil revenues unclear as country faces significant economic problems
Costa Rican central bank gets $1bn to shore up exchange rate
Regional fund offers credit line as central bank aims to boost reserves and relieve pressure on exchange rate; central bank plans a move towards inflation targeting
Perng Fai-nan on how Taiwan has eluded crisis for 20 years
Taiwan’s governor explains how pragmatic interventions have engendered two decades of financial stability, despite the island’s status as a small, open economy
Diversifying reserves carries major risks, warns Taiwan governor
Perng Fai-nan points to the records of Norway and Singapore’s SWFs as a warning about diversification risks; blames SWF outsourcing to asset managers for exacerbating EM volatility
Jamaica’s central bank implements next step in forex overhaul
Conducting auctions at new rate will improve transparency and efficiency of forex market, central bank says, hoping it will stem speculation and volatility
HKMA pledges $1bn to IFC infrastructure platform
HKMA commits $1 billion of its Exchange Fund to International Finance Corporation’s syndicated loan platform to invest in infrastructure projects
MAS’s Chia points to the value of EM bonds
Singapore’s reserves and markets chief says interest in onshore Chinese bonds may act as a catalyst for emerging market bonds at a time when the outlook for yields from traditional reserve assets remains low
Renminbi ‘crucial’ for reserve managers – Isabelle Strauss-Kahn
Central banks must consider how Chinese currency fits into reserves - World Bank expert
HKMA eyes infrastructure investments in Belt and Road initiative
Hong Kong’s central bank plans to invest reserves to help meet Asia's $1.7 trillion annual infrastructure needs, focusing on countries engaged in China’s Belt and Road initiative
PBoC dials back on forex controls
Renminbi ends 11-day rise after the central bank relaxes reserve requirements; analysts view move as attempt to end one-way trading
Norway’s oil fund recommends bond portfolio shake-up
NBIM managers recommend cutting riskier investments from bond benchmark index to improve flexibility and alignment with its goals