Central Banks
EU single payments area plan in doubt
European Union lawmakers said Wednesday 15 November that plans for a single payments area in Europe could hit the buffers unless governments reach a deal soon.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on SEPA
In the speech 'SEPA - Opportunities by change' given on 13 November Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said it is important to underline that payment instruments will have to adapt to the SEPA environment.
Yen lures Swiss, Russian, NZ central banks
According to this article published Monday 13 November by Bloomberg, central banks are increasing their holdings of the yen, in anticipation of a rebound from a 20-year low.
Think-tank joins call for China FX diversification
A government think-tank said in a report published on Monday 13 November that China should diversify its US$1 trillion foreign exchange reserves by building up strategic reserves of crude oil, and precious metals.
Drug linked to disintegrating euros
A mystery substance that caused some euro banknotes in Germany to fall to pieces may be linked to the party drug crystal speed, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Saturday 11 November, quoting regional police.
Eurozone rates "damn low" says ECB's Wellink
European Central Bank council member Nout Wellink said in an interview published Tuesday 14 November interest rates in the eurozone are still ``damn low.''
RBA Statement on Monetary Policy, November 2006
The Reserve Bank of Australia published its November 2006 Statement on Monetary Policy on 13 November. In the report the RBA said it expects inflationary pressures to remain in the economy although it expects its monetary policy to counteract such…
First CBS governor Guy Morel dies
Guy Joseph Morel, the first governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, passed away Thursday 9 November at the age of 73, the Seychelles Nation reported.
Pakistan soon to launch RTGS system
The president of telecoms company PTCL, Muhammad Abdullah Bamakhrama, has said it will soon provide its latest and state-of-the-art Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system to the State Bank of Pakistan.
Financial integration helps avert shocks - Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday 13 November closer financial integration will raise the eurozone's resistance to external shocks and increase its growth potential.
Malaysia, Hong Kong launch payment link
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched a new cross-border payment-vs-payment link between Hong Kong's US dollar real time gross settlement (RTGS) system and Malaysia's ringgit RTGS system, the BNM said Monday 13 November.
China may shift reserves to gold - Numis
China is likely to diversify its foreign exchange holdings of more than one trln usd away from US dollar denominated instruments in favour of gold, Numis Securities said Monday 13 November.
Meister on the EU Banking Stability Report
In a speech given on 7 November Edgar Meister of the Banking Supervision Committee said as analysts of banking sector stability, we have to take into account that the links between large EU banks and hedge funds are intensifying.
ECB's Papademos on the conduct of monetary policy
In the speech 'The role of money in the conduct of monetary policy' given on 9 November Lucas Papademos of the ECB said a large and influential body of academic work has disregarded or deemphasised the role of money as a determinant of inflation, even in…
Central Bank of Ireland Financial Stability Report
According to the Central Bank of Ireland's Financial Stability Report for 2006, risks in the Irish financial system, including rising debt levels, have increased since last year but the industry is robust enough to cope with shocks.
Bernanke on monetary aggregates & monetary policy
In the speech 'Monetary aggregates and monetary policy at the Federal Reserve: A historical perspective' given on 10 November Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said the Fed will continue to monitor and analyse money growth even though the relationship…
RBNZ's Bollard on financial stability issues
In the speech 'Kiwis like buying houses more than buying businesses' given on 9 November Alan Bollard of the RBNZ said New Zealanders' low investment in local businesses leaves the economy more vulnerable to shocks and constrains the country's growth…
SARB Financial Stability Review, September 2006
The South African Reserve Bank published the September 2006 edition of its Financial Stability Review on 10 November. In its latest report the SARB said the volatility of South Africa's rand could be negative for long-term growth, but for now the…
Bank of Mongolia gets new head
Alag Batsukh, 44, has been appointed governor of the Bank of Mongolia, the central bank, but the decision was not unanimously approved by parliament.
Interview with National Bank of Slovakia's Sramko
In an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur, published Wednesday 8 November, National Bank of Slovakia governor Ivan Sramko said Slovakia needs to step up efforts if it is to meet its tight deadline for joining the euro in January 2009.
New York Fed announces Kos to leave
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced Wednesday 8 November that Dino Kos, the head of market operations, will resign to pursue interests outside the bank.
China to stick to reserves policy - PBOC's Zhou
People's Bank of China governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, said Friday 10 November that the country has no plans to change its foreign reserves policy.
Pianalto on monetary policy & the economic outlook
In the speech 'Monetary policy and the economic outlook' given on 6 November Sandra Pianalto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland warned that another hike in U.S. interest rates might be warranted if inflation failed to fall fast enough to satisfy…
Fed's Lacker on monetary policy tactics & strategy
In the speech 'Monetary policy tactics and strategy' given on 30 October Jeffrey Lacker of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said the best way to gain such credibility is for the Fed to establish an "explicit numerical inflation target" - and then key…