Foreign Exchange
A year of progress for Chinese reforms, but there is much still to do
Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, writes about China’s growth prospects, RMB exchange rate reform and the past years’ stock market fluctuations
Discontinuation of Libor would result in ‘significant systemic risk’, Powell says
Fed’s Powell discusses future of Libor; discontinuing the benchmark rate could entail “substantial losses”, he says
Renminbi investments to be included in Singapore reserves
Monetary Authority of Singapore says its investments in the Chinese currency will be included in official reserves “from June 2016 onwards”, now it is easier to repatriate funds
Steps still needed for renminbi to become reserve currency – BIS head of banking
BIS’s Zöllner considers whether renminbi will become reserve currency; continued modernisation of market infrastructure needed, he says
Nigerian central bank announces forex liberalisation
Nigeria’s central bank unveiled plans to make up to $2.5 billion available to the country’s non-oil exporters; currency will float from June 20
The renminbi and the international monetary system
Zhou Yueqiu, director of the Urban Finance Research Institute of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, offers some perspectives on the future role for the renminbi post-SDR inclusion
Co-ordinating China’s domestic and international efforts
As China becomes an increasingly significant player on the international stage it can no longer be insular in its policies, writes deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, Yi Gang
Chile expands dollar holdings, central bank annual report shows
Central Bank of Chile reserve allocations in euro, Canadian dollar and Australian dollar fall, as dollar holdings rise
Divergent monetary policies are top concern for reserve managers in 2016
Reserve managers view divergent monetary policies among the world’s top central banks as the most pressing challenge they face in 2016; asset and currency diversification continues
More ‘flexible’ Nigerian exchange rate regime met with cautious optimism
Central bank announces intention to move to more flexible regime, though exact parameters not yet announced; analysts seem hopeful about the move but lack of details is worrying
‘Challenging' year spurs diversification of Hong Kong's exchange fund
HKMA says it is accelerating its process of reserves diversification after it was hit by a "triple whammy" in all major asset classes in 2015
Paper explores reserve management in closed economies
Working paper published by IMF presents intertemporal optimisation model designed to help assess how closed economies should use their reserves when guarding against current account shocks
Sarb reserve management policy sheds light on tranches
South African Reserve Bank publishes investment policy governing allocation of FX and gold; splits reserves into range of tranches and sub-tranches
SBP’s Aziz sees renminbi gaining ground in global reserves
Pakistan’s reserves head sees potential for Chinese renminbi to muscle in on the euro and yen’s territory in global reserves, on account of negative interest rates
Reserve managers: divergent monetary policy will impact work in 2016
Survey results from forthcoming book identify divergence across the globe as key influence on reserve management; suggest renminbi investments are growing in popularity
Bank of Mexico to send government 239 billion pesos on back of reserve gains
Some 70% of surplus to be used to pay off outstanding government debt or reduce new issuance, while the remaining money will be used to support stabilisation fund
IMF staff raise concerns over Nigeria’s FX regime
Report voices worries about unintended consequences of FX restrictions, calling for more flexibility in exchange rate; Nigeria's authorities insist measures are temporary
Maechler says SNB plans to wield hefty balance sheet to encourage good governance
Swiss National Bank’s balance sheet has ballooned following currency interventions, leading to the question of what to do with the newly acquired assets
SNB made investment ‘innovations’ in 2015, report says
Central bank made first investments in new assets and began to wield voting rights to influence corporate governance in 2015, annual report shows
Renminbi to be identified in IMF Cofer database
IMF countries able to record renminbi holdings from October; inclusion in database recognises "continuing internationalisation" of currency, staff say
Singer outlines evolution of Czech reserves
Miroslav Singer tells London audience the Czech National Bank reserve allocation remains 'conservative', despite expanding into equities and new currencies in recent years
Australian central bank adds S Korean won to reserve portfolio
Australian central bank slashes euro holdings by 20% as diversification into alternative currencies continues
Reserve accumulation can be inflationary, ECB paper says
Working paper examines the allocation of special drawing rights in 2009 to separate out the inflationary effects stemming from an increase in the monetary base and moral hazard
TPP countries strike deal against currency manipulation
The 12 member states of Pacific free trade deal sign declaration vowing comprehensive disclosure of foreign exchange data; new group will ensure members abide by rules against competitive devaluation