Central Banks
Canada cancels plan for C$200 banknote
The Bank of Canada has withdrawn a proposal to print a C$200 bill after a survey concluded that there is a significant current of opposition from retailers to its introduction.
Colombia raises rates to 21-month high
Colombia's central bank raised its key intervention rate on Friday to 6.75% from 6.5%. The move was expected by market observers as inflationary pressures have been building through high consumer spending, rapid growth in imports and a sharp increase in…
Bank of Japan's new executive director
Japan's finance minister, Sadakazu Tanigaki, today appointed Kiyoto Ido, a former director-general of the finance ministry's international bureau, as one of six executive directors of the Bank of Japan.
MacFarlane explains recent rate rise
In his final testimony to lawmakers before retiring as governor of Australia's central bank, Ian MacFarlane explains recent rate rise.
SNB's Blattner to retire in the spring of 2007
The vice-chairman of the Swiss National Bank's Governing Board, Niklaus Blattner, will retire at the end of April 2007, the SNB said on Friday 18 August, adding that a replacement would be proposed within months.
China raises rates by 0.27%
The People's Bank of China on Friday 18 August announced increases of 0.27 percent for key lending and deposit rates in an attempt to slow investment and prevent the economy from overheating.
Fukui says 'more time' needed to hike rates
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told the Kyodo News Agency in an interview that the central bank needs "a little more time" to lift interest rates after it ended its zero-rate policy last month.
Sweden's Srejber on monetary union
In the speech 'Frameworks and stabilisation policy in a monetary union' given on 17 August Eva Srejber of the Sveriges Riksbank said when discussing whether or not to join or form a monetary union, concerns are usually expressed that the countries in the…
Report sees slower gold sales
With European central banks unlikely to opt to sell the maximum allowable 500 metric tons of gold in their annual quota, gold prices should benefit from the reduced physical supply, according to a report by London-based consultancy Virtual Metals Ltd.
SPEED: the new journal for financial plumbers
SPEED - short for Settlement, Payment, E-money and E-trading Development - is a new journal aimed at all those policy-makers in banks, central banks and system operators who are trying to ensure that the financial infrastructure, often called the …
Venezuela monetary reform pondered
A likely monetary reform in Venezuela is subject to a decision by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), said the National Assembly Finance Committee president Rodrigo Cabezas.
Securities Settlement Service may cut costs
Costs for securities settlement services could fall as much as 20% if the European Central Bank sets up a single platform in the eurozone, a person familiar with the deliberations told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday 17 August.
Bank of England drafts first 'Dear Gordon' note
This recent article from Bloomberg presents a fictional letter to UK chancellor Gordon Brown written by Mervyn King in the future explaining why the Bank of England exceeded its inflation target by more than 1 percent.
Minutes show Blanchflower dissented on rate rise
The Bank of England's interest rate setting Monetary Policy Committee voted six-to-one to raise its key repo rate by a quarter point to 4.75 pct at its meeting on 3 August, minutes released Wednesday 16 August showed.
BoJ members called for cautious stance - minutes
Minutes released Wednesday 16 August showed some members of the Bank of Japan's policy board called for a cautious policy stance at their last meeting to avoid leading markets to think the central bank's rushing to raise interest rates.
SBV strengthens communications, security
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has selected advanced technologies from Cisco Systems to help increase operational efficiencies in its countrywide infrastructure and provide a platform to regulate the banking system.
IMF paper on debt in emerging market crises
The IMF Working Paper "The level and composition of public sector debt in emerging market crises" examines the evolution of public sector debt levels and structures in 12 emerging market countries around the time of financial crises.
BIS' Knight to join Nobel Laureate Meetings
The General Manager of the Bank for International Settlement in Basel, Dr. Malcolm Knight, is to become a new member of the Honorary Senate of the Foundation of Nobel Laureate Meetings in Lindau, Germany, the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate…
RBA's Macfarlane facing final hearing
The Australian House of representatives economics committee will hold a public hearing on Friday 18 August with the Reserve Bank governor, Ian Macfarlane.
ECB paper on the European corporate bond market
The ECB Occasional Paper "Implications for liquidity from innovation and transparency in the European corporate bond market" offers a new framework for the assessment of financial market liquidity and identifies two types: search liquidity and systemic…
SNB's Roth sees continued rate hikes
Swiss National Bank president Jean-Pierre Roth said in an interview with Swiss Sunday paper NZZ am Sonntag that the SNB will continue its policy of gradual interest rate hikes.
RBZ's Gono given increased protection
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has been given increased security following a recent arson attack on his property, the Zimbabwe Standard reported.
BOJ steps in after Tokyo blackout
The Bank of Japan began supplying emergency funds Monday 14 August to the interbank market after a blackout halted fund settlements.
Fan Gang to join PBOC committee
China's Cabinet said Friday 11 August it had appointed economist Fan Gang to the People's Bank of China's monetary policy committee, an advisory body to the central bank.