Central Banks
Fund warns Gulf countries on inflation
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with currencies pegged to the greenback will face a tough battle against inflation, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.
Rate talk inappropriate: Japan's Shirakawa
Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan, on Monday confirmed the central bank has abandoned trying to raise rates for the time being because of the uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook.
China hikes reserve ratio again
The People's Bank of China raised its reserve requirement ratio for the fourth time this year after producer price inflation soared 10.2% year-on-year in the first quarter.
No FX intervention in Q1 - NY Fed
The US monetary authorities did not intervene in foreign-exchange markets during the first quarter of 2008, the New York Federal Reserve said in its quarterly report to Congress.
Monetary policy accommodative: Fed's Evans
Charles Evans, the president of the Chicago Federal Reserve, has hinted that US interest rates are now low enough.
Padoa-Schioppa resigns from IMF role
Tomasso Padoa-Schioppa quit on Friday as chairman of its International Monetary and Final Committee.
Don't stall on euro decision: ex-CNB deputy
Ludek Niedermayer, a former deputy governor at the Czech National Bank, has warned the government against pursuing a wait-and-see strategy on joining the eurozone, describing such behaviour as "a little bit cowardly".
Turkey appoints new deputy
Mustafa Ibrahim Turhan, a board member of the Central Bank of Turkey, will become one of four of the institution's deputies.
India's Chidambaram dismisses SWF plans
Palaniappan Chidambaram, India's finance minister, has said that Delhi has no plans to establish a sovereign wealth fund at the moment.
Impact of rate setting on banks assessed
A sharp increase in the steepness of the yield curve has the most negative impact on banks' interest income of any rate shock, research published by the Bundesbank finds.
Uncertainty makes rate path unclear: RBA
The overall impact of a number of opposing economic forces on demand and inflation in Australia is subject to considerable uncertainty, the country's Reserve Bank noted.
SARB must emphasise inflation target's importance
The South African Reserve Bank must communicate why it is so vital to get inflation back within the institution's target range, X.P. Guma, a deputy governor at the central bank, has said.
ECB and BoE leave rates unchanged
As was widely expected, both the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England left rates on hold on Thursday.
Price instability demands attention: IMF's Lipsky
Central bankers must monitor the recent wave of inflation, which threatens to undermine prospects for restoring the favourable economic climate of recent years, John Lipsky, the International Monetary Fund's first deputy managing director, warned.
Bernanke wants Fed to pay interest on reserves
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, wants to pay interest on banks' reserves to stop interbank charges falling below the federal funds rate.
RBA's Broadbent wins third term
Jillian Broadbent, the only woman on the Reserve Bank of Australia's nine-strong rate-setting board, is to serve a third five-year term.
Charge for payment services, says Norway's Gjedrem
Offering payment services for free is not in bank customers' best interests, Svein Gjedrem, the governor of the Bank of Norway, warned.
Slovakia to join eurozone in 2009
Slovakia is set to become the 16th member of the eurozone despite concerns at the European Central Bank that inflation in the country could rise steeply.
Austria names new governor
Ewald Nowotny, a former chief executive of BAWAG, an Austrian Bank, is to replace Klaus Liebscher, at the helm of the country's central bank.
NZ eases rules to ward off turmoil
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has relaxed its collateral rules as a precaution against further tumult in global financial markets.
Zimbabwe prints Z$250m note
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will circulate two notes worth Z$100m and Z$250m in an attempt to limit the impact of hyperinflation.
Fed has little control over rates
The Fed's ability to control short-term interest rates may be greatly exaggerated, research published by the St Louis Fed suggests.
Greece's Garganas to step down
Nicholas Garganas, the governor of the Bank of Greece, will retire when his first term ends in June.