Central Banks
Fed Reserve Bank of Atlanta - Annual Report 2003
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on 20 May published its Annual Report for the year ended 2003. Jack Guynn says the annual report explores how the Fed's grassroots foundation not only remains relevant today but actually enhances how the Atlanta Fed…
Phil Fed's Survey of Professional Forecasters
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia published its Second Quarter 2004 Survey of Professional Forecasters on 24 May. The participants in the second quarter survey see steady rates for unemployment and real GDP growth for the year. Their estimates for…
Bank of Japan's MP Meeting Minutes, April 04
The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its 8 and 9 April Monetary Policy Meeting on 25 May. Some Policy Board members said domestic long-term interest rates needed close monitoring and cited the risk of long-term interest rates rising before there…
The extraordinary Greenspan
This editorial from The Washington Times says it is quite unlikely that the American and world economies would have experienced such good fortunes as they have over the past 20 years were Mr. Greenspan not leading the world's most powerful central bank…
Trichet says ECB must not overreact on data
ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet said on Monday 24 May that the central bank generally had to show 'sang-froid' and moderation in its reaction to economic developments. In a speech delivered in French he said the stability and growth pact does not need to…
ECB 'wrong' for letting euro strengthen-Berlusconi
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has criticised the European Central Bank for allowing the euro to strengthen too much against the dollar, hurting eurozone exporters and boosting inflation.
Helsinki seminar on ESCB cooperation begins
Finland hosted the opening of a three-day seminar devoted to mechanisms of cooperation between the Russian Central Bank and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) on Tuesday 24 May. Participants at the seminar will include the chairman of the…
Is inflation Japan's next battle?
This article on the IHT's site asks when the Bank of Japan will shift from a quantity theory approach to monetary policy and revert to using interest rate policy. That a change is being considered was hinted at last week by the bank's governor, Toshihiko…
Bundesbank calm over oil price surge
Bundesbank president Axel Weber said on Tuesday 25 May that he was not overly worried about surging oil prices, and he indicated that a cut in interest rates by the ECB to help boost eurozone growth was not likely for the time being.
CBN launches efficient document management system
Towards addressing the problems of storage, archival and retrieval of vital documents, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday 24 May launched the Integrated Document Management Solution (IDMS), a filing system designed to achieve efficient document…
CentralBankNet's central bank governance guide
Following the Bundesbank's decision to appoint an ethics advisor for its board, central banks around the world are reviewing their ethics policies for staff. As an aide to this effort, CentralBankNet's governance guide here includes some links to…
Fed's Ferguson on economics and ethical behaviors
In a speech on 'Economics and Ethical Behaviors' given on 22 May, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that acting morally and ethically pays dividends while not doing so imposes costly regulation on society as a whole. Economic outcomes are…
Fed's Gramlich on subprime mortgage lending
In a speech on 'Subprime Mortgage Lending: Benefits, Costs, and Challenges' given on 21 May, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said a relatively high rate of defaults on subprime mortgages raises warning flags, but expanding credit to those who…
The IMF and the force of history
This IMF working paper describes ten events and ten ideas that have shaped the Fund. Designed during World War II, the IMF, it says, has been influenced by the Cold War, globalisation and the collapse of communism. Ideas such as Keynesianism, monetarism,…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, May 2004
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, May 2004 activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand. Indicators for employment and prices received were up from their April readings, the survey…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, May 2004
The BOJ maintained its cautiously optimistic assessment in the report and said that overseas economies were expected to continue growing relatively fast, adding that the recovery of Japanese exports, corporate investment and production were likely to…
Mundell: Chinese economy not overheated
China's economy was not overheated in a wide sense, said Nobel Prize Laureate Robert Mundell on Sunday 22 May in Urumqi. According to him, a floating exchange rate system is not suitable for China, and giving up the fixed exchange rate system will have a…
G7 urge OPEC to raise oil output
The Group of Seven top economic powers on Sunday 22 May, called on all oil-producing nations to safeguard the world economy from soaring energy costs by raising production.
Previous G7 forex statement still valid-Koch-Weser
German deputy finance minister Caio Koch-Weser said the Group of Seven's stance on foreign exchange rates expressed at a meeting in Washington in April is still valid, even though the statement issued after G7 finance officials' meeting on Sunday 22 May…
Tanigaki tells G7 Japan is working on debt
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said that he told Group of Seven nations and Russia that Japan will try harder to control the expansion of its public debt.
PBOC chief calls for risk exchange to price NPLs
China's central bank chief, Zhou Xiaochuan, is urging the establishment of a risk exchange market that would price banks' nonperforming loans and allow for their sale to entities willing to assume risk in exchange for the opportunity of high profits.
Russian Duma to consider central bank reshuffle
Russian lawmakers are to consider reshuffling the board of directors of the Russian Central Bank, the State Duma Council has announced.
Greenspan gets the nod for new Fed term
President Bush finally renominated Alan Greenspan to another term as Federal Reserve chairman this week. Greenspan expressed his honour at the renomination. If he holds the chair until June 2006, Greenspan will be the longest-serving chairman in the Fed…