Central Banks
Brazil c bank sees 2003 inflation near 6 pct-COPOM
BRAZIL - Brazil's Central Bank sees 2003 inflation near its adjusted target of 6 percent, above its previous projection of about 5 percent, the minutes of its Oct. 22-23 rate-setting meeting reveal.
Czechs cut interest rates for fifth time this year
CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech central bank yesterday cut interest rates for the fifth time this year in a new attempt to stimulate faltering domestic economic growth and slow the rapid appreciation of the Czech koruna.
Fear over house prices prevented interest rate cut
UK - Fear of stoking the overheated housing market was one reason why the majority of the members of the Bank of England's rate-setting monetary policy committee decided against an interest rate reduction last month.
Koizumi set for back-seat role on bad loan reforms
JAPAN - Junichiro Koizumi, Japan's prime minister, yesterday suggested he would not play an active political role in implementing measures to clean up bad loans, saying he would leave the details to economic tsar Heizo Takenaka.
Central bank head says successor must be Bosnian
BOSNIA - The governor of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Central Bank (CB BiH), Peter Nicholl, on Friday confirmed to the SRNA news agency that he would step down as governor in 10 months and that the new governor, according to the current law, will have to be a…
Japan under pressure for more policy action
JAPAN - Pressure on Japanese policymakers to ease the deflationary burden on the economy mounted on Friday, as economists voiced doubts over the effectiveness of new reform plans and a top U.S. official called for more aggressive action.
AGCC reaffirms switchover plan to single currency
ARTICLE - Governors of AGCC central banks have reaffirmed their commitment to introducing a common currency for the six-member Arab states, as Gulf economies are gradually embracing the idea of globalisation and financial sector liberalisation.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey
REPORT - Activity in the region's manufacturing sector weakened this month, according to firms surveyed for the October Business Outlook Survey. Indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments declined from their readings in September. Overall…
Santomero on Process & Progress in Risk Management
SPEECH - In the speech 'Process & Progress in Risk Management' made on 28 October, Anthony Santomero of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the financial sector has come a long way in its risk management efforts. Basel II offers an unusual…
IMF report on the Policies of the Euro Area
REPORT - International Monetary Fund Staff Report on the Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies of the Euro Area. The report includes sections on movements towards greater central bank transparency, predictability of central bank interest rate decisions,…
Tokyo stocks fall more than 1 percent Thursday
JAPAN - Tokyo stocks fell more than 1 percent Thursday after a long awaited government economic package failed to impress investors, who sold select blue chip shares. The dollar slid against the yen.
Sri Lankan central bank bomber gets 200 years jail
SRI LANKA - The leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels Velupillai Prabhakaran has been sentenced to 200-years imprisonment today (Thursday) along with three other "LTTE cadres" by the Colombo High Court in connection with the attack on the Central Bank of Sri…
Eurozone inflation climbs to 2.2% in October
GERMANY - Inflation in the Eurozone continued to climb in October according to the estimate released on Thursday by Eurostat, the European Commission's Statistical Office.
Dollar tie-up won't affect currency says Kuwait
KUWAIT - Kuwait said yesterday a decision to link its currency fully to the dollar was not expected to weaken the dinar nor trigger inflation.
China's first gold exchange opens for trade
ARTICLE - The opening of China's first gold exchange on Wednesday in Shanghai signals the end of 50-plus years of government monopoly over the gold market.
Bank Negara set to host IFSB seminar
MALAYSIA - Malaysia's central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, is hosting a two-day seminar on Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) on 3-4 November in Kuala Lumpur.
Ex-tea boy heads for top RBZ post?
ZIMBABWE - Gideon Gono, the chief executive officer of the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ), looks set to become the governor of the central Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) shortly, it was established this week - says Zimbabwe's Financial Gazette.
Argentina: IMF deal mooted for Friday
ARGENTINA - A deal between Argentina and the IMF rescheduling US$14bn falling due to the multilateral agencies between now and the end of next year could be announced as soon as Friday of this week, according to a number of sources in Buenos Aires.
Thailand's credit card rate to be capped at 18%
THAILAND - Interest rates and charges for credit cards issued by both banks and non-banks should be capped at 18%, says Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Yugoslav bank governor accuses Serbian PM
YUGOSLAVIA - Belgrade: "I consider the kind of statement made by [Serbian] Prime Minister [Zoran] Djindjic in respect of a change of the dinar exchange rate to be irresponsible and incompetent, Governor of the National Bank of Yugoslavia [NBJ] Mladjan…
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan on education
SPEECH - In the speech 'Education' made on 29 October, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said empirical economic research has identified a complex set of factors as key determinants of how successful any country will be in transforming its physical…
Issing on relationship lending in the euro area
SPEECH - In the speech 'Relationship lending in the euro area' made on 24 October, Otmar Issing of the ECB said recent trends in the European financial markets seem to have put pressure on banks, leading some of them to reduce the scale of their…
Gjedrem on the business cycle and monetary policy
SPEECH - In the speech 'The business cycle and monetary policy' made on 17 October, Svein Gjedrem of Norges Bank said share prices fell sharply this summer for several reasons, including poorer growth prospects abroad. Developments this summer indicate…
10th Manila Framework Group meeting opens
ASIA - The 10th Finance and Central Bank Deputies' Meeting of the Manila Framework Group (MFG), chaired by Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Rahman Hj Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, started Monday.