Central Banks
Fukui prepares to raise rates
Raising rates in Japan’s unbalanced economy will test Governor Fukui’s skills to the limit, says Andrew Smithers. But he is on the right track so far.
Dates slide for euro hopefuls
Assistant editor Nick Carver surveys the progress – or in some cases the lack of it – of the ten countries that joined the EU in 2004.
Weber reveals his monetary policy stance
Axel Weber set out his thinking on the role of monetary policy and interest rates in three speeches in March. Stephen Frowen and Elias Karakitsos report.
Government debt gears up for change
Paul Brione charts the rise in profile, professionalism and autonomy of government debt offices.
On the record: Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Summers offers his reflections on global account imbalances and reserve accumulation in emerging markets.
Bernanke delivers 'There may come a time' speech
According to this article published on Friday 28 April , Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has given his version of Greenspan's "there may come a time" speech, suggesting the Fed could pause in its campaign to raise rates.
IMF's Krueger announces intention to leave
Anne Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, has informed Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato of her intention to leave the Fund at end of her term, which expires on 31 August.
Bank of Canada Monetary Policy Report, Apr 2006
The Bank of Canada released its April 2006 Monetary Policy Report on 27 April. The latest report says the Canadian economy continues to grow at a solid pace, supported by robust global growth, firm commodity prices, and strong domestic demand.
RBA's Macfarlane on monetary policy & the media
In a transcript from a radio report on Friday 28 April, Reserve Bank of Australia governor Ian Macfarlane pondered why the Australian media covered interest rate moves much more than either the US or UK media. He also recounted a 'near-death' experience…
Kyrgyz's Sarbanov acted in 'interests of state'
Ulan Sarbanov, the former governor of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, was acquitted in court on Wednesday 26 April, along with four other ex-finance officials.
Sao Tome's central bank governor to return
Officials have been quoted as saying that the former prime minister of Sao Tome and Principe, Maria do Carmo Silveira, is to return to her role as governor of the country's central bank, once the new government has taken office.
Sweden's Ingves on cash management
In the speech 'Cash management - an important social issue' given on 26 April Stefan Ingves of the Sveriges Riksbank said one of the Riksbank's tasks is to promote a safe and efficient payment system.
RBNZ leaves OCR unchanged at 7.25 per cent
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced on Thursday 27 April that the Official Cash Rate (OCR) will remain at 7.25 per cent.
Bank of England appoints Chief Legal Adviser
The Bank of England announced on Thursday 27 April that Dame Juliet Wheldon has been appointed Chief Legal Adviser and Adviser to the Governor.
Nacha honours Fed vice chairman Roger Ferguson
The Electronic Payments Association will present its 2006 George Mitchell Payments System Excellence Award to Roger Ferguson, Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve, who is completing his service to the Federal Reserve and the U.S. payments system on 28…
Interview with Zhang Zhuoyuan
In an interview published on Wednesday 26 April, Zhang Zhuoyuan of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said China may widen the yuan's trading band when "suitable" to allow more gains and boost investors' role in setting exchange rates.
Comments: Reserve diversification
Recent reports of the diversification official foreign exchange reserves in the Middle East have not gone unnoticed. Economists are starting to ask if the prospect of large-scale reserve diversification is back on the international agenda, following a…
Strategist says central banks may sell dollars
Central banks are likely to sell dollars in 2006 as they move to diversify their reserves in favour of the euro, according to BNP Paribas SA.
ECB to weigh rate options - Gonzalez-Paramo
ECB executive board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo said on Tuesday 25 April that the euro zone central bank will debate raising interest rates at its meeting next week, but nothing was fixed.
Srejber on how the Riksbank's assets are managed
In the speech 'How the Riksbank's financial assets are managed' given on 25 April Eva Srejber of the Sveriges Riksbank said by investing in asset types with credit risk, that is, other fixed-income securities than government bonds, we can increase the…
How/why do consumers choose their payment methods?
In this Kansas City Fed RWP Stacey Schreft takes a detailed look at the state of research on this subject, where research needs to go, and why such research is important for monetary policymakers and banking regulators.
Bank of Canada raises interest rates
The Bank of Canada on Tuesday 25 April announced that it is raising its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 4 per cent.