Central Banks
Serbian governor contradicts Belgrade on EU aid
Radovan Jelasic, the governor of the National Bank of Serbia, has said that central and eastern European states should avoid over-reliance on European Union (EU) aid just hours after it emerged that Belgrade was seeking assistance from Brussels.
Italy's Draghi calls on banks to raise capital
Mario Draghi, the governor of the Bank of Italy, has urged the country's banks to increase their capital ratios to shore up confidence in the financial sector.
Central banks join the flight to quality
The financial turmoil has had a major impact on central banks' reserve-management policies.
South Africa's Mnyande: no time to sit and wait
Strengthening southern Africa's ability to prevent future crises is vital, Monde Mnyande, the chief economist of the South African Reserve Bank, has warned.
Fullani highlights main risks to Albania
The drop-off in remittances and a tightening of financing conditions are the main threats from the global crisis to the Albanian economy, said Adrian Fullani, the governor of the country's central bank.
Bric economies call for greater voice
Brazil, China, Russia and India, the four leading emerging-market economies, have pressed for a greater say in the running of the Bretton Woods institutions.
Stiglitz laments US's "bogus" bailouts
Joseph Stiglitz, the 2001 Nobel Laureate, tells CentralBanking.com why the US administration must set up its own lender and stop pandering to the banks if it is to fix the economy.
Serbia seeks more IMF, EU aid
Serbia is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU) to secure more emergency funding to bolster its reserve stockpile and limit the social impact of the crisis.
Policy can make deflationary episodes more costly
The costs of previous deflationary episodes have been exacerbated by inappropriate policy responses, a new paper from the Bank of England posits.
New measures for housing inflation needed
Policymakers lack appropriate measures of inflation for the market in owner-occupied housing services, argues a new paper form the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
AIG succumbs to political will, names recipients
In a surprise move, American International Group (AIG), a beleaguered insurer, has revealed the recipients of $105.3 billion-worth of federal funds after coming under intense pressure from politicians to do so.
Basel, IADI issue deposit insurance guidelines
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) has issued a set of global guidelines for deposit guarantee systems.
China concerned over Treasury holdings
Wen Jiabao, China's prime minister, has said that the country, which has the biggest stockpile of United States government debt in the world, is "a little worried" about its US Treasury holdings.
De Larosiere, Dodge to lead new global watchdog
Jacques de Larosiere and David Dodge are to head a private-sector-sponsored international monitoring group tasked with assessing risk and fostering stability.
Chile makes mammoth rate cut
The Central Bank of Chile chopped 250 basis points off its key rate on Thursday, saying that it expected inflation to slide speedily.
Canada's Longworth faults VaR
Methodologies based on Value at Risk (VaR) that are too dependent on short historical samples cause procyclicality, said David Longworth, a deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.
BoE's Barker confident on quantitative easing
Increasing the money supply is a significant move that will prop up the economy, said Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
Switzerland to intervene to halt franc's gain
The Swiss National Bank pledged to curb the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the euro on Thursday and said that there was a risk of deflation over the next three years.
Emerging markets need higher inflation targets
Countries subject to higher levels of macroeconomic volatility may find it desirable to target a higher level of inflation, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
NZ's Bollard sees recovery soon
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its key rate to a fresh record low on Thursday, but Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank, signalled an economic recovery is not far off.
Fed's Braunstein urges caution on lending rules
Any new laws on lending practices need to carefully target abuses without unduly restraining responsible credit, said Sandra Braunstein, the director of the division of consumer and community affairs of the Federal Reserve.
Brazil cuts to record low to boost sluggish growth
The Central Bank of Brazil cut its core interest rate, Selic, by 150 basis points on Wednesday after data out Tuesday indicated Brazil was much more vulnerable to the global economic crisis than previously assumed.
Norway SWF's share strategy prompts record loss
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global booked its steepest yearly loss in its ten-year history on Wednesday after its strategy to invest a higher proportion of its wealth in equities backfired
Old Lady begins quantitative easing
The Bank of England began its first round of gilt purchases on Wednesday, buying £2 billion ($2.8 billion) of the instruments outright in an attempt to boost the money supply.