Central Banks
Currency dealing liberalised in China
CHINA - The central bank has eased controls on foreign-exchange dealing by domestic banks to put them on an equal footing with foreign competitors, it was reported.
CBA hits Reserve, playing "social policy" on cards
AUSTRALIA - On Thursday Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) attacked the Reserve Bank over its proposed credit card reforms.
Speech by Fed Reserve Governor Ed Gramlich, 20 Feb
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Consumption and the Wealth Effect: The United States and the United Kingdom' Gramlich said the run-up in household wealth in the late 1990s - in the form of rising stock and home prices - clearly affected consumer spending,…
Speech by David Dodge of Bank of Canada, 20 Feb
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Canada's Experience with Inflation Targets and a Flexible Exchange Rate: Lessons Learned' Dodge said that both Canada and the global economy seem to have turned the corner, and believed modest growth in Canada would pick up…
Bank of Canada Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Canada Governor reviews Canada's experience with inflation targets and a flexible exchange rate.
Speech by Nobuyuki Nakahara, Bank of Japan, 11 Dec
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'The Japanese Economy and Monetary Policy in a Deflationary Environment' Nakahara said the central bank should take radical monetary steps, including buying 200 billion yen ($1.59 billion) a month of foreign bonds or using…
Stanley Fischer - An Economic Insider's View
FEATURE - Few people are ever privy to how world leaders try to cope with their economic woes. But from his position at the IMF, Stanley Fischer certainly was.
Tokyo plays down prospect of bank boost
JAPAN - The Japanese government yesterday played down speculation that it was preparing a large capital injection into the wobbly banking system before the end of next month, when a government blanket guarantee on bank deposits will be lifted.
Beijing set to cut rates as deflation fears return
CHINA - China is set to cut interest rates today for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years to combat a return of the deflationary pressures Beijing fought so hard to banish during the Asian financial crisis.
German sale plan triggers gold slump
GERMANY - The price of gold fell on 20 February 2002 following comments by the president of Germany's Bundesbank.
Armenia's c bank chief to take part in seminar
ARMENIA - The head of Armenia's Central Bank Tigran Sargsian today left for London for participation in the seminar "Poverty reduction, growth and debt sustainability in the low-income countries of CIS", which will be held on 21-22 Feb.
Economist may be top candidate for Fed role
US - A highly regarded economist is one of the top candidates for one of two vacancies on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, an administration official said Wednesday.
Speech by William Poole, St Louis Fed Bank, 12 Feb
SPEECH - Eulogy, Darryl R. Francis, 1912-2002 William Poole, President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Ft. Smith, Arkansas, 12 February 2002.
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Minutes
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee meeting 6 and 7 February 2002. Released 20 February.
ECB PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE - Manual on "Accession countries: balance of payments/ international investment position statistical methods", 20 February.
Speech by K Persson of Sveriges Riksbank, 20 Feb
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Globalisation and Sweden' Persson said inflation expectations in Sweden are stable and other economic indicators, too, were in good shape.
Russia finishes real-time payment system
RUSSIA - According to Tatyana Paramonova, first deputy chairwoman of the Central Bank of Russia, the real-time payment system is 80% complete in Russia.
BOE minutes - MPC voted 7-2 to hold repo rate 4.0%
UK - Seven members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the repo rate on hold at 4.0% in February, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday.
Colombian c bank report 2001 net income of $533.7m
COLOMBIA - The Colombian central bank posted 2001 net income of 1.22 trillion pesos ($533.7 million), officials said.
Quaden - Rates appropriate for foreseeable future
BELGIUM - The euro-zone economy has bottomed out and recovery should start in the second half of this year, with some countries seeing a rebound already in the second quarter, European Central Bank governing council member Guy Quaden said Tuesday.
Swedish c.banker says inflation expectation stable
SWEDEN - Inflation expectations in Sweden are stable and other economic indicators, too, are in good shape, Swedish central bank deputy governor Kristina Persson said on Wednesday.
Give Wadhwani a longer run at Bank
FEATURE - Sushil Wadhwani has denied a stock market rumour that he asked Gordon Brown to keep his seat on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee after his three-year term expires in May.
UK could join euro in less than 2 years
UK - Britain could introduce euro notes and coins less than two years after a single currency referendum, Peter Hain said on Tuesday.