Central Banks
Book notes: Masters of the Universe: Hayek, Friedman, and the Birth of Neoliberal Politics
At first glance the cover of this book implies that the overweening attachment of Thatcher and Reagan to free market economics lay at the root of the 2007–08 crisis. But it is not as simple as that
Book notes: First Principles: Five Keys to Restoring America's Prosperity
The author's premise is that the best way to understand the problems confronting the American economy is to go back to the first principles of economic freedom upon which the country was founded
Sri Lankan governor issues 21-point plan for bankers
Ajith Nivard Cabraal gives guidance on how banking operations should be monitored and upgraded throughout 2013
Racial equality boosted by deregulation in US, paper says
Banking sector policies that facilitated competition helped increase the black population’s relative wages in the US, but only in racially biased states
Riksbank reinforces foreign currency reserves
Sveriges Riksbank will borrow $15 billion of foreign currency from Swedish National Debt Office to compensate in part for increasing IMF commitments
Fiji governor unveils first polymer banknote
New five Fijian dollar note to incorporate polymer substrate for the first time; $2 note replaced with coin
Experts advocate replacing OMTs with gold-backed bonds
Using gold as collateral for sovereign debt could circumvent concerns about fiscal transfers associated with ECB’s OMT programme, panellists say at World Gold Council briefing
EU leaders thrash out ECB bank supervision deal
European finance ministers reach agreement that gives the ECB supervisory powers over the largest banks; EBA rules adjusted to balance voting powers of states outside supervisory mechanism
Donald Kohn on the Fed and fixing the global financial system
Donald Kohn talks to Christopher Jeffery about the Fed’s role in the crisis, changes in central bank mandates and exit strategies, and regulatory efforts to clean up the financial system
Paper finds flimsy productivity base for banks in Spain
A Bank of Spain working paper says two-thirds of pre-crisis banking productivity growth was attributable to the expansion of mortgage lending, a reliance on short-term finance and leverage
SNB will not abandon minimum exchange rate, Jordan says
Thomas Jordan reaffirms the Swiss National Bank’s commitment to a minimum of 1.2 Swiss francs to the euro; inflation expected to remain negative next year
Bank of Finland's Erkki Liikanen on bank separation in Europe
Bank of Finland governor, Erkki Liikanen, tells Christopher Jeffery why he believes the separation of ‘risky’ activities at banks represents the third leg to ensure financial stability in Europe
Fed to extend QE by $45bn per month
Federal Reserve gives equity markets a lift by unveiling an additional $45 billion of quantitative easing; adopts numerical thresholds
Banking union divides Europe
The European Central Bank is set to gain responsibility for the supervision of the continent’s banks in a move unlikely to restore trust with an already sceptical German public
Legal traps facing the ECB
The European Central Bank is set to gain supervisory powers over the continent’s banks via the single supervisory mechanism. René Smits explains the practical issues linked with the banking union
ECB in danger of being forged from fiscal fragility
Mario Draghi has made his mark at the helm of the European Central Bank. But Europe also needs a core set of values that must not be violated
Cyprus may create ‘bad bank’ as part of reforms
Panicos Demetriades outlines plans to monitor undercapitalised banks and possibly create a ‘bad bank’; Irish chief economist says the burden of austerity measures must be shared
Dealers seek second business conduct reprieve from CFTC
Less than 1% of OTC derivatives counterparties are ready to trade under new business conduct regime. Non-compliant firms may be frozen out of the market, banks warn
Korea’s Kim calls for an end to currency reserves hoarding
Bank of Korea governor Choongsoo Kim says use of multi-layered financial safety nets would reduce the need for emerging economies to hoard foreign currency reserves; calls for a global effort
IMF paper studies SME financing as source of Japanese recovery
Research says restructuring small and medium-sized enterprises and deepening capital markets in Japan would better boost recovery than costly government support
Chile’s Vergara draws parallels between LatAm and eurozone crises
Governor of the Central Bank of Chile says Latin America’s sovereign debt crisis of the 1980s has similarities with current situation in eurozone; despite ‘lost decade’, better policies resulted
RBA’s Stevens addresses growing importance of policy spillovers
Australia’s Glenn Stevens says policy-makers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to consider the wider impact of domestic decisions, although discussion is in its infancy
Finland paper sizes up Chinese reforms
Research published by the Bank of Finland examines financial liberalisation in China and what it means for the country’s monetary policy framework