Central Banks
Colombia central bank plans reserves sale
Colombia's central bank said on Friday 16 September it cut interest rates by half a percentage point and would sell at least $3 billion in international reserves to the government.
China's forex regime poses fresh puzzle
An article published on Tuesday 13 September says China's new rules for its currency regime could mean the country may be forced to battle the nearly $2 trillion-a-day global forex market to try to control the dollar, euro and yen exchange rates.
Time to go, Mr. Fazio
The agenda set out in this article published Monday 12 September is clear. Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio must go. Even if nobody can legally force him out, the campaign for his resignation will not go away, it says.
World Bank names Europeans to top posts
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz named two Europeans to senior positions at the development lender on Friday 9 September.
Fed schedule suggests Greenspan January exit
The Federal Reserve has shortened its planned two-day monetary policy meeting for 31 Jan - 1 Fed down to one day, suggesting Alan Greenspan will leave the Fed then.
Interview with Bundesbank's Weber
In an interview published on Saturday 10 September Deutsche Bundesbank president Axel Weber said Germany could learn a lot from Britain's success in reducing unemployment to such low levels.
Greenspan successor to face tough economic climate
Until recently it seemed that Alan Greenspan's successor at the Federal Reserve would have a fairly easy ride at first. But according to an article published this week, that seems like a distant memory now that Hurricane Katrina has sent gasoline,…
Place your bets! Will Fazio stay or go?
A Swedish online gambling website is offering odds on whether embattled Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio will stay in office beyond the start of October.
Greenspan, the Wizard of Bubbleland
This lengthy article published on Wednesday 14 September covers a lot of central banking ground. Greenspan's measured-paced interest-rate policy is a reversal back to the Fed's tradition of gradualism, it says, but the debt cancer is spreading faster…
RBA's Lowe on payment systems
In the speech 'Innovation and governance of payment systems' given on 16 September Philip Lowe of the Reserve Bank of Australia said technological innovation and greater industry co-ordination in Australia's payments systems are required if it is to…
BOJ's Iwata repeats inflation target call
Bank of Japan deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said Thursday 15 September that the central bank should adopt a specific inflation target to boost transparency in monetary policy and fend off excessive market speculation after its quantitative easing…
Vietnam to maintain compulsory reserves ratio
Vietnam's central bank said on Thursday 15 September it will not raise the compulsory reserve ratio banks must keep aside.
Argentina mulls increasing gold reserves
Argentina's central bank may increase its gold reserves as a hedge against inflation and to protect it against financial crises, according to Juan Ignacio Basco, the bank's head of market operations.
Besieged Fazio gets a supporter at last
European Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said Friday 16 September that the Bank of Italy's governor, Antonio Fazio, appears to have acted legally in the ongoing saga that has enveloped the central bank.
Comment: Managing Asian reserves
The accumulation of foreign-exchange reserves by Asian central banks is one of the most talked-about developments in international finance in recent years. Arguably, it is also one of the most misunderstood ones too - its causes and consequences being…
Uniform accounting rules face hurdles in Europe
This article published on Tuesday 13 September says that although the path to uniform and stricter global accounting rules is paved with good intentions, problems have arisen in Europe that could delay the adoption of parts of International Accounting…
IMF Global Financial Stability Report, Sep 2005
The International Monetary Fund published its Global Financial Stability Report for September 2005 on 15 September. The global financial system has strengthened over the past year, according to the report, giving it a substantial cushion against…
Comment: Revisiting the risk landscape
Many central bankers and international financial institutions have as usual started the new season by surveying the changing risk landscape.
BOT soldiers guard the nation's finances
This article published on Monday 12 September looks at the Bank of Thailand's reserve management team. There's no longer concern about over-reacting if speculators come pounding at the barriers again, as they did in 1996-97, it says.
Bank of Uganda signs foreign reserve software deal
The Bank of Uganda has become the third African central bank to adopt a financial technology solution from Trema, the company announced recently.
McCreevy says cross border clearing cost must fall
Charlie McCreevy, the European Union internal market commissioner, said on Tuesday 13 September action will be taken against Europe's financial services industry if it fails to slash the costs of cross- border trading in securities within six months.
Fukuma sees risk from maintaining reserve target
Katsutoshi Fukuma, a member of the Bank of Japan's policy board, said in a speech he now sees rising risks in maintaining the bank's present 30-35 trln yen liquidity reserve target range, and he reiterated his call for a reduction.
Bank of Italy valued at 1bln euro
The total value of the Bank of Italy's shares is about 1 bln euro, said economy undersecretary Maria Teresa Armosino, but she said the shares are not "marketable".
Russia won't increase euro reserves
The Central Bank of Russia is not planning to increase the euro share in the country's gold and currency reserves and bi-currency basket, the first deputy bank chairman said Tuesday 13 September.