Central Banks
Nigeria in record forex sale
The Central Bank of Nigeria offered $500 million to banks in the foreign exchange market on 23 August, in its largest ever sale of foreign exchange.
China legislates to protect foreign CB assets
The Chinese government is considering legislation which would exempt the assets of foreign central banks from judicial enforcement, according to the China Daily.
Inflation still below target in Israel
The Bank of Israel's inflation report for the first half of 2005 shows inflation below the lower limit of the target range, despite reductions in interest rates at the beginning of the year.
Bank of England to cut financial stability staff
The Bank of England is planning to restructure the division which monitors financial stability, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. The move could see the elimination of about 20 of the 150 jobs in the department.
Comment: The Benefits of Joining the EMU
What is the gain for new European Union member states of joining the Euro currency area so soon? This is the question asked by Federico Ravenna in a recent ECB working paper*. The author argues that the decision to become part of the monetary union is…
Europe's unstable currency union?
John Nugee writes on how a "one size fits all" interest rate policy in the Eurozone can exacerbate divergence between economies.
National Bank of Ukraine berates banks
The National Bank of Ukraine has issued a strongly worded warning against to domestic banks engaging in "improper conduct" in foreign exchange markets.
Hungary continues to cut rates
The National Bank of Hungary cut its key interest rate on 22 August for the seventh time in 2005, from 6.75% to 6.25%. The 50 basis point cut was the latest in a cycle of decreasing rates which began in November 2003, and was larger than markets were…
Australia grants access to Visa Debit System
Australia's Payment System Board, which makes payment system regulation and is chaired by Ian Macfarlane, the RBA's governor, decided to impose an access regime on the Visa Debit System in Australia.
Pricking a housing bubble, Australian style
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Ian Macfarlane has declared victory in the fight to deflate one of the world's most obvious housing bubbles, according to this article published on Wednesday 17 August. In fact, he is so confident he has succeeded that…
ECB behind BoE, Fed on clarity; must reveal more
This article published on Thursday 18 August reveals the results of a poll of economists and academics who were asked to compare the ECB with the Bank of England, U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan for clarity of communication.
Kohn to replace Gramlich on loan guarantee boards
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan on Wednesday 17 August named Governor Donald L. Kohn to replace Governor Edward M. Gramlich as the Chairman's designee on four federal loan guarantee boards, effective 1 September.
Greenspan's marriage proposal - 'so oblique'
A recent interview with Fed chairman Alan Greenspan's wife revealed a few details on the maestro.
Italy's Fazio to quit, but may take a while
An article published this week says Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio will eventually yield to the relentless pressure on him to resign, but it may not happen for some time. One reform that seems almost sure to emerge from the affair is the…
China's 'visionary' Zhou leads yuan float push
An article published on Wednesday 17 August looks at People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan in depth. He was a visionary on yuan reform long before it became a global issue, it says, and moved steadily up the banking and finance hierarchy through…
Argentina's central bank deputy dismissed
Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has removed central bank vice-president Ricardo Branda from office. Branda is under formal investigation for alleged corruption.
Modest pay, one term 'best' for central bankers
A new study says that Europe's central bank chiefs should receive only modest pay and serve just a single term in office to avoid self interest creeping into interest rate decisions. It also found that limited terms and confidential interest rate…
Robbery! Brazil's central bank loses $68m
How do you lose $68m? The central bank of Brazil is asking itself the same question after thieves tunnelled in to bank and made this massive withdrawal.
China appoints new central bank vice governor
Hu Xiaolian has been appointed vice governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) by China's State Council, the cabinet, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Comment: Governments eye foreign reserves
Two dimensions of official sector reserves receive a lot of attention in the press, in policy circles and from market analysts: foreign reserves held by central banks and public pension funds.
NY Fed conference on The Economics of Payments II
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published on Thursday 18 August a call for papers for a conference on "The Economics of Payments II," being held from 29-30 March 2006.
RBA could hold meetings 'every two months'
The Reserve Bank of Australia could meet every second month, rather than holding the current monthly monetary policy meetings, a former central bank board member said.
Iran and Bahrain link ATM systems
The Iranian ATM system has been connected to that of Bahrain, allowing the customers of Bahraini banks to use the ATM machines in Iran and vice versa.
Serb central bank upbeat on IMF warning
Radovan Jelasic, governor of Serbia's central bank, predicted on Tuesday 16 August that the government would react positively to warnings from the International Monetary Fund that its loan arrangement was in jeopardy.