Central Banks
Greek deficit breach likely to avoid sanctions
Greece announced on Saturday 11 September that its 2004 budget deficit would be 5.3% of gross domestic product. With national debt standing at 184 billion euros, 112% of GDP, or 50,000 euros for every citizen. However the collapse of the stability and…
Brazil hikes interest rates to 16.25%
Brazil's central bank interest rate setting Copom committee increased interest rates on Wednesday 15 September for the first time since February 2003, saying that it hoped to rein in inflation without disrupting the country's economic recovery.
Atlanta Fed economist sees GSEs taking more risks
U.S. mortgage finance enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are likely to take greater risks as they face stiffer competition from banks and regional Federal Home Loan Banks, a study by an Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank economist said.
Ueda predicts close to 4% growth for Japan
Japan's economy is likely to grow at a pace of "slightly below 4 percent" for the time being, Kazuo Ueda, a member of the Bank of Japan's policy-setting panel, said on Thursday 16 September.
High demand expected for new China bonds
China has reportedly appointed Merrill Lynch to co-ordinate the US dollar part of its planned sovereign foreign bond issue, Business Monitor International said. The issue was reported to be worth between US$1.5bn and US$2.0bn.
BIS Quarterly Review, September 2004
Emerging market countries, notably in Asia, were proving to be among the most active international borrowers and depositors in overseas banks this year, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said in its Quarterly Review, September 2004.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, August 2004
German business confidence dropped for the third month in four in August and the number of unemployed rose to the highest since May of last year. The surge in oil prices to record levels this year may further delay a recovery in consumer spending, the…
Korea's possible central bank deficit
The Bank of Korea is highly likely to register a deficit this year for the first time in a decade, according to this article. The Ministry of Finance should refrain from meddling too much in the market and let the central bank do its job of stabilising…
Bank of Israel - Annual Report 2003
The Bank of Israel has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2003. The report says there was a turnaround in 2003 and economic activity rallied: GDP and business-sector product rose, after declining in the two previous years. The recovery was…
Nickell warns on UK house prices
In a speech on 'Household debt, house prices and consumption growth' given on 14 September, Stephen Nickell of the Bank of England said there is a significant probability that house prices in the UK will fall at some stage though it is hard to say how…
Profitability of RBA foreign exchange operations
Since the float of the Australian dollar in December 1983, the Reserve Bank of Australia has retained the discretion to intervene in the foreign exchange markets in order to avoid what it perceives to be large overshooting in the currency. This paper…
No gold sale plan, says Bank of Italy
In a statement released on Monday 13 September, the Bank of Italy said it had no plans to sell its gold reserves.
IMF's Krueger supports Russian central bank
IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger said at a press conference on Monday 13 September that the International Monetary Fund supports actions by the Central Bank of Russia to regulate the recent unstable situation in the country's banking…
RBI may revise inflation target
The Reserve Bank of India, which is closely monitoring inflation, now at 8.33 per cent, may revise its annual target of 5-5.5 per cent in the busy season credit policy next month, according to RBI deputy governor Rakesh Mohan.
Papua New Guinea central bank posts record profit
The Bank of Papua New Guinea posted a record profit of 68m kina for last year on Tuesday. The bank posted a profit of 54m kina in 2002 and paid 50m kina of that to the state.
Poole on challenges for US businesses
At a panel discussion on the challenges for U.S. businesses which took place on 10 September, William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said the large U.S. current account deficit does not worry him as it implies a capital account surplus,…
Sweden's Persson: structural reform and employment
Deputy Governor of the Sveriges Riksbank Kristina Persson on Monday September 13 gave her view of economic developments at a seminar in Paris arranged by the Swedish Center for Business and Policy Studies and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
RBI's Udeshi on bank supervision- challenges ahead
In a speech on 'Bank Supervision - Challenges Ahead' given on 28 August, Smt. K.J. Udeshi of the Reserve Bank of India said in view of the relevance of improved risk management systems under the changing circumstances and the larger emphasis placed on…
BoJ's Monetary Policy Meeting, 9/10 August
The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its 9 and 10 August meeting on 14 September. In the minutes of its monthly meeting the BoJ cautioned that high oil prices will have a negative impact on the Japanese economy.
'No urgency' to lift rates says Fed's Bies
Federal Reserve Governor Susan Bies said the central bank faces ``no urgency'' to lift the benchmark U.S. interest rate while awaiting more evidence that economic expansion is steady.
BOJ may hold rates down until 2008
The Bank of Japan may hold its key interest rate near zero per cent until 2008 as declines in rice and electricity prices fuel deflation, Mizuho Securities Co. economist Yasunari Ueno wrote in a report, according to Bloomberg News.
Russia cb prepares for world-class infrastructure
At a strategic meeting on June 23, 2004 in St. Petersburg, Russia, Michail Senatorov, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Central Bank, and Lazaro Campos, Member of the SWIFT Executive Committee, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the bank…
ECB's Trichet says he's still 'Mr Euro'
ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said Saturday he remained firmly in place as "Mr Euro" despite the appointment of Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as the political face of the 12-nation eurozone.
Yellen on US economic and monetary policy
In a speech on US economic and monetary policy given on 9 September, Janet Yellen of the San Francisco Fed said the Fed's overnight interest rate remains well below the neutral level, so there is "a strong presumption that rates will need to keep going…