Central Banks
Euro inflation at new low, OECD wants more easing
The OECD on Tuesday urged the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates further and apply quantitative easing in a bid to stave off a severe economic contraction. The calls came as it emerged eurozone annual inflation in March had dropped to its lowest…
Don't rely too heavily on capital-adequacy models
Supervisors should guard against placing undue reliance on the overall level of capital implied by economic capital models in assessing capital adequacy, a new paper from the Bank for International Settlements posits.
Sepa project must be extended
The scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) project must be extended to include standardisation in the field of value-added services, such as e-invoicing, a new paper from the National Bank of Denmark states.
Turkey justifies cut to record low
The Central Bank of Turkey cut rates by 100 basis points to an all-time low earlier this month on signs that the global economic outlook continued to deteriorate and the depression was expected to be long lasting, the minutes for the 19 March meeting…
A solution to the reserves riddle
There has been an anomaly between what is in the national interest and what is in the global interest on the issue of reserves. However, this does not have to be so.
Soros urges G20 to agree on SDR reallocation
George Soros, one of the world's most renowned hedge-fund managers, has called on G20 leaders to endorse the reallocation of rich country's SDR quotas with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
A proposal to aid emerging-market stability
Ousmene Mandeng, the head of public sector investment advisory at Ashmore, an asset management firm, believes there is a more efficient way for emerging market central banks to use their reserves to stave off a disorderly unwinding of their capital…
Spain appoints new deputy amidst first bailout
The Spanish government named Francisco Javier Ariztegui as the Bank of Spain's new deputy governor on Friday.
SWFs look beyond Santiago
Although agreement on the Santiago Principles for sovereign wealth funds represents a remarkable achievement, the proof of their effectiveness will come in the implementation phase that has now started.
ECB issues Sepa "expectations"
The European Central Bank (ECB) published a list of expectations on Friday for how it would like to see stakeholders act to implement the Single Euro Payments Area or Sepa, amid concerns that the initiative will be swept aside by the financial crisis.
We won't let banks fail - Nigeria's Soludo
Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said on Monday that the central bank will not allow any of the domestic banks to fail.
Tucker: macroprudential is more than macro + micro
A macroprudential approach to financial supervision requires more than simply bringing together the central bank's macroeconomists and the regulator's line supervisors, said Paul Tucker, a deputy governor of the Bank of England.
Limits to safety net support - Richmond's Lacker
It is of paramount importance to clearly define the boundaries of future safety net support, said Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve.
Europe's and Japan's fiscal actions procyclical
Discretionary fiscal policy tended to be procyclical in continental European countries and Japan, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
Cooperation between leaders and banks essential
As the world responds to financial and economic turmoil, the industry and authorities must work together as never before, says Angela Knight, the chief executive of the British Bankers' Association (BBA).
Goodfriend: Fed's fiscal statement does not go far enough
The Federal Reserve's attempt to clarify its stability role is a move in the right direction, but must be improved upon
Zhou warns against trust in external ratings
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, voiced concern about the role of rating agencies in an essay posted on the central bank's website.
Zimbabwean prices stabilise after dollarisation
Zimbabwe's Central Statistical Office has announced that prices in the ravaged Southern African nation have started to fall since the adoption of the US dollar.
When will the sovereigns return - and how?
Participants in a conference on the management of sovereign assets and reserves, hosted by Central Banking Publications, were split over when public investors will regain their appetite for risk following significant losses during the current financial…
Fed's Stern: recession could end in mid-2009
In one of the most bullish assessments of the state of the US economy by an official of the Federal Reserve since the start of the crisis, Gary Stern, the long-serving president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said that the recovery could…
Sharp decline in inflation a plus - RBI's Subbarao
The sharp decline of India's headline inflation is an advantage for the country's policymakers as they respond to the current economic conditions, said Duvvuri Subbarao, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Data on home-host banking activity inadequate
Data on international banking activity remain largely inadequate for surveillance and policymaking purposes, new research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) posits.
Former Hungarian governor frontrunner for premier
Gyorgy Suranyi, a former governor of the National Bank of Hungary, is seen as a frontrunner to become the next prime minister of the eastern European state.
Geithner open to Zhou suggestion, but backs buck
Tim Geithner, the US Treasury secretary, said on Wednesday that he was open to People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan's suggestion of expanding the use of special drawing rights (SDRs) but affirmed the dollar's strength.