Central Banks
IMF and Ghana reach initial agreement on $3 billion loan
Stricken country preparing domestic debt restructuring
PBoC reports rise in gold reserves for first time since 2019
Analysts say the move is part of China’s ongoing efforts to diversify its vast dollar-denominated assets
Inflation, geopolitics and the renminbi
At a Bank of China (Hong Kong)-sponsored forum, policy‑makers discussed geopolitical developments and China’s macroeconomic outlook as global inflation rises
The canary in the goldmine
Gold accumulation may herald broader concerns about dollar holdings, writes Jennifer Johnson-Calari
Nigerian central bank limits cash withdrawals
Governor says policy will increase cashless payments use and cut crime, but politicians criticise move
Rates round-up: Poland holds rates despite high inflation
Serbia and Bulgaria raise rates as double-digit inflation plagues eastern Europe
Law change set to make Fed reveal holders of master accounts
Amendment grew out of dispute between Republican senators and Kansas City Fed
BIS bulletin weighs pros and cons of ‘front-loaded’ tightening
Recent rate increases are highly synchronised and twice as fast as previous cycles, authors say
Proportionality in bank regulation: striking the right balance
The ‘final’ Basel III framework contains elements designed to make the rules fairer while reducing regulatory arbitrage. This means careful analysis is required when making any proportionality adjustments in the EU single rule book, writes Maurizio…
Italy to allow larger cash payments despite central bank objections
Official warns move could encourage illicit activity
BIS paper finds ‘mixed’ evidence of non-banks triggering spillovers
“Extreme” capital flows have not worsened, but central banks are also more active, authors note
Earnings power of economists remains above GDP per capita
Emerging market professionals earn lowest median salary, but incomes still more than double national average
Brazil and Paraguay hold rates, while Curaçao opts for rise
Inflation has almost halved in Brazil in six months since April, but board says fiscal outlook uncertain
Dollarisation did not prevent monetary financing, paper finds
IMF researchers show how Ecuador created central bank money without its own currency
Book notes: A monetary and fiscal history of the United States, 1961–2021, by Alan Blinder
The book’s breakthrough is its infusion of the history of fiscal policy into a theoretical framework traditionally focused on monetary instruments. It is a splendid and thrilling read
Chile pauses rate hikes, but Peru continues tightening
Peruvian board carries on with policy meeting despite political turmoil
Bank of Canada raises rates again
Central bank notes growth is stalling and will consider if more raises are needed
Kenya central bank restores mobile money transfer fees
Move will reverse anti-Covid measure, but cut fees from 2020 rates
BSP governor issues ‘1MDB’ warning over proposed fund
Some legislators have proposed sovereign wealth fund, but critics warn it could increase corruption
Most institutions use time-series models for forecasting
Use of models differs across jurisdictions by income size