Central Banks
BIS Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Second FSF regional meeting with Latin American authorities, 30 April.
Speech by Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, 3 May
SPEECH - In a speech made Friday titled 'Stock Options and Related Matters' Greenspan said failure by firms to count option grants to employees as expenses may significantly distort earnings.
US warns Japan over 'boxcar' economy
US - The Japanese economy, the world's second largest, risks becoming a "boxcar" on the global racetrack, US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has said.
UK at forefront of global card fraud prevention
FEATURE - Letter published in the Financial Times, 3 May, from Chris Pearson, Association for Payment Clearing Services, London.
No 'complacency' about debt levels
FEATURE - Letter published in the Financial Times, 3 May, from Dr Sushil Wadhwani, Monetary Policy Committee, Bank of England.
Current practices distort earnings - Greenspan
US - Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Friday said failure by firms to count option grants to employees as expenses may significantly distort earnings.
Air Miles 'threaten dollar's dominance' - Report
US - Air Miles currently in circulation are said to be worth $500 billion - making them the second biggest "currency" after the dollar.
Financial literacy programs making grade?
US - If financial literacy programs are to succeed, more research is needed on their success rate, Federal Reserve Governor Edward M. Gramlich said Thursday.
Prodi calls for 'one sole political voice' on euro
BELGIUM - European Commission president Romano Prodi said he is "convinced" that there should be moves to ensure one sole political voice speaks on behalf of the euro.
None so deaf - A central banker hit below the belt
FEATURE - When the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, is stuck in an awkward political corner she has taken to using a cheap rhetorical trick. She has borrowed it from Rob Muldoon. Unable to find anything substantive to say, she resorts to…
There are no risk-free returns says RBI's Jalan
INDIA - It's never easy being the governor of a central bank, but for Bimal Jalan, the 61-year-old governor of RBI, the challenges just keep multiplying, reports The Times of India on Friday.
Financial Sector Assessment Program
RESEARCH - Financial Sector Assessment Program-Experience with the Assessment of Systemically Important Payment Systems. Prepared by the Staffs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, 19 April, 2002.
Speech by J.C. Trichet of Banque de France, 23 Apr
SPEECH - Trichet said in a speech titled 'Asset Price Bubbles and their Implications for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability' that asset price developments are a serious cause of concern for central banks since they may impinge upon both price and…
Speech by Robert Parry, San Francisco Fed, 1 May
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'The Role of the Federal Reserve in the Economy' Parry attempts to answer some of the questions he says he often hears people ask, such as What's the Fed's role in the economy?, How does it function? and What can it do for…
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Monetary Policy Decisions, 2 May.
Federal Reserve Board - Proposals for Comment
REPORT - Draft Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by the Federal Reserve, 1 May.
South Africa Reserve Bank Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Governor appointed as Professor Extraordinary to the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University.
Banks gets electronic clearing system
UGANDA - The Uganda Banker's Association (UBA) and Bank of Uganda have introduced an electronic cheque clearing system, to replace the manual system, a statement from the bankers has said.
Malaysian central bank's reserves at US$32.5 bn
MALAYSIA - Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said its international reserves stood at RM123.5 billion (US$32.5 billion) as at April 15 2002, which is sufficient to finance 5.5 months of retained imports.
Eurozone interest rates left unchanged
EUROPE - Interest rates in the 12-nation eurozone have been kept on hold as expected at a regular ECB meeting held Thursday.
St Louis Fed official on guard for inflation
US - St. Louis Federal Reserve President William Poole on Thursday warned that policymakers must be on guard and said low and stable inflation was key to keeping the current U.S. economic expansion strong and long-lasting.
Dollar slides after O'Neill testimony
US - Pessimism about the strength of the US recovery sent the dollar to its weakest level for six months against the euro and for two months against the yen on Thursday.
Turkish c bank says it meets IMF monetary targets
TURKEY - Turkey's Central Bank said on Wednesday it had met monetary targets for March and April agreed under a $16 billion IMF lending package tasked with slashing inflation and raising growth.
Flag protest
NETHERLANDS - The wife of the President of the European Central Bank hung a Palestinian flag from a second-floor balcony of their home here in protest against Israel's actions in the West Bank. Wim Duisenberg refused to comment on the stance taken by…