Central Banks
What next for the G20?
The G20's breadth of membership is starting to give it a voice in official discussions of international monetary issues, says Marc Uzan.
Investment portfolio techniques at a central bank
Etienne Lavigne discusses the appropriate reserve management framework and mix of portfolio techniques for a central bank.
Folly in economics
Where does the hyperinflation fit in the rational world of economics? Martin Paldam finds the answers in Peter Bernholz's study of monetary abuse.
Reports from Dubai
In the following 14 pages our correspondents report some of the more interesting but less publicised developments and events that took place at and around this year's meeting of the IMF, held in the glittering hotels and convention centres of Dubai…
ECB's Solans on changeover to the euro currency
In a speech on 'The changeover to the euro currency' given on 13 November, Eugenio Domingo Solans of the ECB said based on the positive experience we have so far made with the euro and its smooth introduction, we can be confident that we will cope with…
Bundesbank's Remsperger on economic policy making
In a speech on 'Current challenges facing economic policy-makers' given on 3 November, Hermann Remsperger of the Deutsche Bundesbank said given the adjustments at the enterprise level, the urgently required reforms in the labour market and fiscal and…
Bank of Canada Review, Autumn 2003
The Bank of Canada published its Review for Autumn 2003 on 13 November. The Review includes articles titled "An Evaluation of Fixed Announcement Dates" "Recent Labour Market Developments in Canada" and "Developments, Issues, and Initiatives in Retail…
ECB publishes results of its bank lending survey
The European Central Bank published the report on the results of the October 2003 bank lending survey for the euro area on 13 November. The bank lending survey has been developed by the Eurosystem in order to enhance the understanding of bank lending…
SBV, Bundesbank sign banking expertise agreement
The State Bank of Vietnam (SVB) has signed an agreement with the Deutsche Bundesbank which will allow executives and staff members of the SVB to receive training and advisory assistance through seminars, banking research and discussions with experts…
Slovene govt adopts programme for introducing euro
The government of Slovenia has introduced a programme for the country's entry to ERM2 and eventually the euro, reported Radio Slovenia. All parties unanimously backed the introduction of the euro to Slovenia "as soon as possible" on Thursday 13 November.
Bank of Japan's Ueda reiterates ultra-loose policy
Bank of Japan policy board member Kazuo Ueda said in a speech reported by AFX that the BoJ could maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy even after deflation is overcome, if it is judged necessary to maintain the policy.
Foreign central banks buy more U.S. debt - Fed
Holdings of US Treasuries by foreign central banks rose further above the $1.0 trillion level reaching a new record high in the latest week, according to a Reuters report. The Federal Reserve said on on Thursday 13 November that foreign central banks…
Fed's Santomero says rates can't stay low forever
Philadelphia Fed President Anthony Santomero said on Friday 14 November that although interest rates cannot stay at their current low rates in the indefinitely, there is no pressure for a rise in the near future, according to a report by Reuters…
Hungary to submit central bank independence bill
The Hungarian government has adopted the draft of a legal amendment aimed at strengthening the independence of the National Bank of Hungary, Interfax reports. According to the draft law to be submitted to parliament, the central bank and members of its…
Post referendum, Swedish euro opposition rises
A poll published on Friday 14 November showed that opposition to the euro has increased in Sweden since the euro referendum in September came down against the single currency, reports EU Business. Support for the euro fell from 42 to 38 percent, the poll…
Bulgaria signs partnership against fake money
The National Bank of Bulgaria (BNB) has signed an agreement on the establishment of a national centre to analyse forged and counterfeit money, according to a report by the Sofia Echo. According to BNB governor Ivan Iskrov, the central bank has the…
RBA's Macfarlane: Economic opportunities and risks
In a speech on 'Economic Opportunities and Risks over the Coming Decades', given on 13 November I.J. Macfarlane of the Reserve Bank of Australia said over any measure, say, 20 years, 10 years or even five years, Asia is the fastest growing region in the…
ECB Monthly Bulletin, November 2003
The European Central Bank published its November 2003 Monthly Bulletin on 13 November. This issue of the Monthly Bulletin contains three articles. The first reviews the main developments in the debt financing of the euro area private sector over recent…
IMF: Interest rates in low rate environment
This IMF Working Paper empirically evaluates the validity of the term structure of interest rates in a low-interest-rate environment. It applies a time-series method to high-frequency Japanese data, the term-structure model is found to be useful for…
Fed's Ferguson on Basel II updates
In a speech on 'The Proposed U.S. Approach to Regulatory Capital: An Update', given on 13 November Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said we do not expect to slacken the high standards expected of banks operating under the advanced approaches for…
Bank of Finland capital base plan withdrawn
Finland's second Minister of Finance Ulla-Maj Wideroos has withdrawn a proposal she made that the Bank of Finland's capital base should be transferred to the government to repay state debts, according to a report by Helsingin Sanomat. The new proposal…
IMF admits mistakes in handling Asian crisis
The assistant director of the IMF Office for Asia and the Pacific, Charles Adams, has acknowledged that the Fund made mistakes during the Asian Crisis but not everyone agrees what the mistakes are, according to AFP. Some lending conditions were not…
Chicago Fed's Moskow: Rates to stay low
Michael Moskow said on Thursday 13 November, according to Reuters, that the Federal Reserve plans to keep interest low for a considerable period of time. The Chicago Fed President, who is a voting member of the FOMC, told a panel discussion "All of the…