Central Banks
Ex-Brazil governor dismisses plan to ditch dollar
Gustavo Franco, a former governor of the Central Bank of Brazil, has said that proposals for China and Brazil to trade in renminbi and reals rather than dollars are "pure idle talk".
A feeble response to an unprecedented crisis
Officials have failed to deliver on their promises of a regulatory overhaul. It is a pity, writes Robert Pringle, the chairman of Central Banking Publications.
Ghana's Acquah emphasises role of social contract
To ensure the safety and security of the financial system, officials must re-commit to the tenets of the unwritten compact that are essential to maintain the confidence and trust of the public, Paul Acquah, the governor of the Bank of Ghana, has said.
A feast of books on the crisis
Robert Pringle and Hugh Sandeman review the first wave of books on the current global financial crisis
Beyond Santiago: status and prospects
Sven Behrendt argues that sovereign wealth funds’ admirable support of sound governance principles needs to be taken a step further
Bank Negara comes of age
Governors from five continents joined Bank Negara Malaysia in February to commemorate its 50th birthday. Claire Jones reports
Interview: Zdeneˇk Tu°ma
Martina Horáková speaks to the Czech governor about the crisis, calls for cross-border supervision and the process for adopting the euro
Getting systemic risk regulation right: an agenda for the US
Robert Litan says systemic regulation can be done, and sets out who should do it in the United States – and how
Should monetary policy lean or clean: a reassessment
The current turmoil has undermined the view that central banks can deal with bubbles and imbalances after they burst, argues William White
Interview: William White
Claire Jones speaks to William White about the lessons from history in getting out of the current crisis and the need for thinking more long term about the consequences of policymaking
Interview: Nasser Al Shaali
The chief executive of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority tells Malan Rietveld that the emirate will bounce back strongly
Interview: Rasheed Al Maraj
The governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain tells Malan Rietveld that the country’s conservative approach to finance, regulation and construction is paying dividends in a time of crisis
SARB - Monetary Policy Review
The heightened levels of global economic uncertainty are making monetary-policy decisions more challenging, notes the latest Monetary Policy Review from the South African Reserve Bank.
Banking crises bring longer downturns
Financial turmoil characterised by banking distress is more likely to result in severe and protracted downturns than crises caused by volatility in securities or foreign exchange markets, new research from the International Monetary Fund posits.
Basel Committee's Wellink wants burden shared
Nout Wellink, the president of the Netherlands Bank and the chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, has said that he is in favour of proposals for supranational supervision in Europe but warned that the issue of burden-sharing was crucial.
Fed aids Treasury in toxic-asset removal
To support the Treasury's plan to rid banks of toxic assets, the Federal Reserve on Tuesday said that it will take some mortgage-backed securities on to its books from July.
Our outdated global monetary regime must go
From its roots in post-war reconstruction, the current international monetary system has evolved into a regime fundamentally unsuited to the realities of today's global economy. But it cannot last, writes Ousmene Mandeng
Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe slump, IMF warns
The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that economies in sub-Saharan Africa were facing a "severe downturn" and called for a strong public-policy response both domestically and internationally.
Brazil and China planning link-up to ditch dollar
A Central Bank of Brazil official has said that trade between the country and China will be conducted in reals and renminbi rather than dollars.
HKMA's Yam confirms retirement
Joseph Yam, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), is to step down in October, it emerged on Tuesday.
Malaysian state sets up $5 billion SWF
Malaysia's oil-rich Terengganu state will establish a M$11 billion ($3 billion) ringgit sovereign wealth fund with a M$5 billion bond issuance later this week.