Central Banks
Kosovo banking authority becomes central bank
According to news agency KosovaLive, UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) head Joachim Ruecker signed an agreement on Wednesday 20 September by which the Banking and Payment Authority of Kosova becomes the Central Banking Authority of…
Court says Polish bank probe unconstitutional
Poland's constitutional court ruled Friday 22 September that a parliamentary commission set up to probe the activities of the country's central bank and its governor Leszek Balcerowicz was unconstitutional, AFX Europe said.
Riyadh to host payment systems conference
A two-day international conference on 'Payment Systems in Saudi Arabia and GCC countries' is to be held in Riyadh from 14 November. The forum will discuss the present mode of electronic access to funds at remote locations and future strategies.
Fed, staying put, seeks signals for next move
This article published Thursday 21 September by Bloomberg says that the Federal Reserve's decision to leave US interest rates unchanged on Wednesday indicates they still want to see how matters unfold before doing anything else.
Dodge adviser says statements can be mis-read
An advisor to Bank of Canada governor David Dodge said on Wednesday 20 September that investors sometimes read too much into the statements announcing central bank interest-rate decisions, and may look for clues that aren't there.
Fed appoints successor to Rich Spillenkothen
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday 21 September announced the appointment of Roger T. Cole as director of the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, effective immediately.
Russia appoints new supervision head
A new official has been appointed to run the Russian central bank's Banking Supervision Committee, following the murder of the first deputy chairman a week ago, the bank announced Thursday 21 September, according to RIA Novosti.
RBI's Reddy on foreign exchange reserves
In the speech 'Foreign exchange reserves: New realities and options' given on 19 September Y.V. Reddy of the Reserve Bank of India said emerging market economies were always wary that capital flows could slow down, and foreign exchange reserves were…
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on a SEPA for cards
In the speech 'A SEPA for cards: a contribution to a cashless society?' given on 20 September Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the ECB has been surprised by the strength of growth in cash in circulation since the launch of the euro.
BOT chief denies premiership rumours
Bank of Thailand (BOT) governor M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula on Wednesday 20 September denied a rumour he had been approached to take the Thai premiership.
ECB Liikanen says more rate hikes needed
The European Central Bank will have to raise interest rates again if it is to keep inflation under control, Finnish central bank chief Erkki Liikanen said in a newspaper interview published Wednesday 20 September.
BoE minutes show inflation concerns worry MPC
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee members said in minutes released Wednesday 20 September that inflation is likely to speed-up and growth will stay around the long-term average.
Central banker of the year announced
Several publications announced awards for the world's central bankers this week, including a Euromoney award for Lebanon' s central bank governor Riad Salameh for his management of the crisis during Israel's recent onslaught.
China adds other currencies to reserves
Hu Xiaolian, head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), said in an article carried in the latest issue of the Emerging Markets magazine that China has cut the proportion of US dollars assets in its foreign exchange reserve in recent…
China's mushrooming forex reserve
This article published by Asia Times Online on Tuesday 19 September says that although massive levels of foreign exchange reserves represent the strength of an economy, it brings more problems than benefits.
ECB's Weber not worried on Iran reserves threat
A threat by the Central Bank of Iran to move its foreign exchange reserves out of dollars into other currencies, notably the euro, should not necessarily be a cause for concern, European Central Bank Governing Council member and Bundesbank President Axel…
Hedge funds take backseat to Asian central banks
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Friday 15 September, hedge funds are taking a backseat to Asian central banks.
Technology diffusion within central banking
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Paper "Technology diffusion within central banking: The case of real-time gross settlement" examines the diffusion of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) technology across all 174 central banks.
Sweden's Rosenberg on monetary policy in Sweden
In the speech 'Monetary policy in Sweden' given on 18 September Irma Rosenberg of the Sveriges Riksbank said prospects for economic activity and inflation indicate that less expansionary monetary policy is called for in future.
Oman begins automated clearing
Oman's central bank has started its automated clearing house system for handling bulk electronic credit and debit transfers, according to the Oman Daily Observer.
Barker says MPC surprised by house price jump
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Kate Barker told the Daily Telegraph the recent jump in UK house prices has surprised the MPC.
RBA's Stevens on capital flows and monetary policy
In the speech 'Capital flows and monetary policy' given on 17 September Glenn Stevens of the Reserve Bank of Australia said short-term fluctuations in exchange rates do not pose as much risk to internationally exposed businesses as medium-term…
Govt and RBA reaffirm policy
Treasurer Peter Costello and Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens, who began his term on Monday 18 September, have reaffirmed the government's agreement with the RBA on monetary policy.
Fed panel to discuss targets for inflation
According to this article published on the International Herald Tribune's site Monday 18 September, Ben Bernanke is stepping up his push for an inflation target at the Federal Reserve.