Central Banks
Duisenberg reveals political interference
European Central Bank ex-President Wim Duisenberg disclosed for the first time recently that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, French President Jacques Chirac and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have all tried to influence the ECB's monetary…
SNB's Hildebrand on the EU economic recovery
In a speech on 'The EU economic recovery: why is it so slow?' given on 21 April, Philipp Hildebrand of the Swiss National Bank said real GDP growth in the US has consistently outperformed growth in the European Union since the 80s. Besides cyclical and…
Dallas Fed announces change in research function
The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Richard W. Fisher, on Friday 6 May announced a change in the organisation and focus of the bank's Research Department in order to better analyse the effects of globalization on monetary policy.
Fed's Olson: new financial products create risks
A senior Federal Reserve official told the Chicago Fed's bank structure conference on Thursday 5 May that US consumers can more easily tap the value of their homes for cash, which has helped them "smooth their consumption" and helped the economy bounce…
US on track to halve budget deficit says Snow
US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Thursday 6 May said that continued American economic growth and strong tax receipts had kept the U.S. government in view of its stated aim of cutting the budget deficit by 50%.
Tanigaki says Japan's economy recovering
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki reiterated on Thursday 5 May that the country's consumers are powering economic recovery and vowed to press on with fiscal reforms, although moderate deflation continued to pose a problem.
US and Chinese officials to meet on yuan issue
Officials from the People's Bank of China plan to meet on Monday 9 May with US Treasury Department officials for continuing discussions relating to various financial issues including China's pegged exchange rate system.
Nigeria appoints deputy governor after resignation
The Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Tuesday 3 May that Dr Obadiah Mailafia will replace Mrs Wahir Mshelia as the Deputy Governor for Policy on Monday 9 May. Mshelia resigned last week with press reports suggesting there were 'strong indications' she…
Brazil's Supreme Court upholds partial immunity
The Supreme Federal Court on Thursday 5 May upheld the decision to give Brazil's central bank President Henrique Meirelles immunity from prosecution from common courts in an ongoing illegal tax and forex transaction case against him, local media reported.
Central Bank of Ireland, Quarterly Bulletin 2/2005
Ireland's central bank published its second Quarterly Bulletin for 2005 on Wednesday 4 May. The Bulletin reports that Ireland should enjoy continued strong economic growth in 2005 and 2006 but faces potential problems from the high price of oil and the…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, May/June 2005
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for May-June 2005 includes the articles "Monetary policy and commodity futures" and "Using implied volatility to measure uncertainty about interest rates".
Romania's Isarescu on inflation targeting
In a speech on 'Inflation targeting - international experience and Romania's prospects' given on 30 March (published 26 April), Mugur Isarescu of the National Bank of Romania said Romania is in a good position to pursue disinflation by adopting an…
Swiss National Bank - Annual Report 2004
The Swiss National Bank has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2004. The SNB's financial results for 2004 registered a distributable profit of CHF 20.7 billion, as compared with CHF 2.3 billion a year earlier.
Greenspan on risk transfer and financial stability
In a speech on 'Risk transfer and financial stability' given on 5 May, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the huge mortgage holdings of home finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose risks to the liquidity of the derivatives market where…
Tokyo urges China to act 'responsibly' on reserves
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said that Japan will manage its foreign-exchange reserves to help create stability rather than maximize profit and called on China and South Korea to also act "responsibly."
Speculation makes yuan shift difficult says China
China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing said excessive speculation that the yuan will be allowed to appreciate is making it harder for the government to loosen the currency's peg to the US dollar.
Asia set to boost currency attack defences
Japan, China and South Korea are set to join forces to bolster Asia's defences against currency speculators despite diplomatic tensions that had threatened to derail economic cooperation.
BoJ: Outlook for Economic Activity & Prices Apr 05
The Bank of Japan has published the English version of its April 2005 Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices report. The report says Japan's economy remains on a recovery trend, despite a recent pause due partly to adjustments in production and…
Federal Reserve raises rates to 3%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 3 May to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3 per cent. In its statement the FOMC said monetary policy remained "accommodative" and that it expected to continue removing…
IMF Working Paper on international reserves
The IMF Working Paper "A fiscal price tag for international reserves" examines the (quasi-)fiscal impact of the (opportunity) cost of international reserves. The paper suggests that while most countries made money on their reserves during 1990-2001, most…
Fischer on Israel's economy and challenges ahead
In the speech 'A brief look at Israel's economy and the challenges ahead' given on 1 May, Stanley Fischer of the Bank of Israel said the right economic policy is essential for the economy's ability to grow rapidly. There are, however, other factors…