Central Banks
Implementing Basel II in Europe
In Europe, the task of ensuring a smooth transition to the Basel II capital rules for banks falls on the new Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS). Neil Courtis spoke to CEBS chairman, Jose Maria Roldan, for CentralBankNet.
CLS Bank live with four additional currencies
CLS Bank International announced on Monday 6 December that it will settle payment instructions in four new currencies for the first time this week. This brings to fifteen the number of currencies eligible to settle through CLS Bank.
Philadelphia Fed's Santomero on global economy
In a speech on 'Challenges and opportunities in a global economy: Perspectives on outsourcing, exchange rates, and free trade' given on 3 December. Anthony Santomero of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the US economy should grow about 4 per…
Sweden's Heikensten on inflation outlook
Sveriges Riksbank governor Lars Heikensten spoke at a meeting organised by Handelsbanken in Gothenburg on 30 November about the current economic situation and monetary policy. In the speech he said that over the past year the Riksbank has held a positive…
Fed says electronic payments exceed check payments
Surveys conducted by the Federal Reserve confirm that electronic payment transactions in the United States have exceeded check payments for the first time, the Financial Services Policy Committee said on Monday 6 December.
Boston Fed's Minehan on November job report
The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston told a conference on globalisation on Friday 3 December that the November unemployment report was "somewhat disappointing".
Issing says factors for stronger growth 'in place'
European Central Bank Chief Economist Otmar Issing said in an interview published on Monday 6 December that the surge in oil prices hasn't prompted labor unions to raise their wage demands, and eurozone inflation is expected to fall back below 2 per cent…
No plan to divert from U.S. dollar-Japan's MOF
Japan, the biggest overseas holder of U.S. Treasuries, has no plan to divert from dollar-denominated assets, said Masatsugu Asakawa, a Ministry of Finance official.
ECB announces changes in senior management
The Executive Board of the European Central Bank announced on Thursday 2 December that it has decided on some changes in senior management at the ECB.
Interview with San Francisco Fed's Yellen
In an interview published this week, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Janet Yellen says in her spare time she enjoys running, and has run a few half-marathons. She describes her time at the White House as exciting and interesting…
The man who shaped the Federal Reserve
A new biography, "Chairman of the Fed: William McChesney Martin Jr. and the Creation of the Modern Federal Reserve System tells Martin's story as Fed chairman from 1951, when over the next 19 years, it says, he employed a combination of diplomacy,…
The shortest year of my life: Zimbabwe's Gono
It is one year since Gideon Gono took office as governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. This article looks back on Gono's first year and quotes him as saying "It has been one of the shortest years I've ever had to live in my 45 years of existence. The…
Fed's Bernanke on the logic of monetary policy
In a speech on 'The logic of monetary policy' given on 2 December, Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said that official short-term interest rates are not an accurate gauge of how much stimulus or restraint policy-makers intend because most decisions…
HKMA's Topping on liquidity risk management
In a speech on 'Liquidity risk management: A regulator's view' given on 16 November, Simon Topping of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said central to effective liquidity risk management is a bank's ability to maintain adequate liquidity in the event of…
RBA paper: News and interest rate expectations
The RBA Discussion Paper "News and interest rate expectations: A study of six central banks" analyses the effect of news relating to the expected path of monetary policy on interest rate futures. Results suggest that the impact of the RBA's communication…
Former MPC member to oversee Blunkett inquiry
Sir Alan Budd, a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, has been commissioned by John Gieve, the Home Office permanent secretary, to undertake an "urgent investigation" into claims that Home Secretary David Blunkett fast…
Iwata on the euro from a Japanese perspective
In a speech on 'The euro from the Japanese perspective' given on 19 November, Kazumasa Iwata of the Bank of Japan said the case of the euro serves as a good model of a combination of both market selection and political will. On the other hand, in Asia,…
Slovak government considers two to replace Jusko
The Slovak government is considering two candidates to replace outgoing National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) governor Marian Jusko, CTK news agency reported this week.