News
BI to issue new banking regulations
Bank Indonesia will soon release two crucial regulations to accelerate banking activities, strengthen banking institutions and to boost real economic sectors, including small-to medium enterprises (SMEs), BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah said.
Koizumi, Schroeder may talk on dollar policy
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi may discuss U.S. currency policy with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder when the two meet on Dec. 8 during Schroeder's three-day visit to Tokyo, according to a spokesman for the Japanese foreign ministry.
RBNZ's 'Snakes and ladders'
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has issued a new publication that seeks to inform households about how to manage the risks inherent in saving and investing. The 48-page publication has been commissioned by the Reserve Bank and written by investment…
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, December 2004
The Federal Reserve has published its December 2004 Beige Book survey. The report finds that the US economy kept expanding from mid-October to mid-November, picking up speed in several regions of the country.
Towards a Single Euro Payments Area - 3rd report
In its third progress report on the single euro payment area (SEPA), published on Thursday 2 December, the Governing Council of the ECB assesses recent developments in the efforts to transform the still largely fragmented national retail payment systems…
Trichet says intervention is central bank 'weapon'
The Governing Council of the ECB decided to keep eurozone interest rates unchanged at its meeting on Thursday 2 December. Speaking at the post-meeting press conference ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said the euro's recent appreciation, which pushed…
Belgium against German plans on stability pact
In an interview published Thursday Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt voiced his opposition to German plans on how to reform the rules governing the euro.
Estonians to vote on euro coin design
Estonians will have a chance to decide the appearance of the national side of their euro coins by a week-long telephone vote, due to start this weekend, the Bank of Estonia said Thursday 2 December.
Brazil minister calls for relaxed monetary policy
Brazil's Development, Trade and Industry Minister Luiz Fernando Furlan criticised the central bank's conservative monetary policy and expressed concerns over the impact on the economy of the strengthening of the real against the dollar, AFX News said.
Second high-level central bank seminar in Rio
The Second High-Level Seminar of the Eurosystem and Latin American Central Banks took place on Friday 26 November in Rio de Janeiro. The Seminar was hosted by the Banco Central do Brasil and jointly organised together with the European Central Bank and…
No ECB comment on intervention talk
The European Central Bank declined to comment on reports coming out of Tokyo suggesting possible joint action with Japan on the foreign exchange market, AFX News said.
Arab states launch money laundering task force
Arab states agreed on Tuesday 30 November on the creation of the 14-member Middle East-North Africa Financial Action Task Force to work together to try to keep money out of the hands of terrorists.
Cape Verde considers adopting euro currency
Cape Verde is considering adopting the euro as its own currency, the prime minister of the west African island state, Cape Verde's Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves was quoted as saying by AFP.
Hungary's Central Bank Act returned to parliament
The President of Hungary, Ferenc Madl, failed to sign on Monday 29 November the modifications to the Central Bank Act passed by parliament last week, Interfax-Europe reports. Instead, the president sent the law back to parliament for further…
NBP chief: Ukraine situation not to affect Poland
The possible crisis of the Ukrainian economy caused by the tense political situation in that country will not harm the Polish economy, President of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) Leszek Balcerowicz told a press conference on Wednesday 1 December.
ECB report on bond markets & interest rates
The European Central Bank published the third and extended edition of a report entitled "Bond markets and long-term interest rates in non-euro area Member States of the European Union and in accession countries" on 24 November.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, October 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank's October 2004 Monthly Report said the stability of the German financial system has strengthened further since the end of last year. This was assisted, the report says, by the rapid brightening of the macroeconomic climate in the…
BoE's King says UK growth 'a little stronger'
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King told the Treasury Committee on Tuesday 30 November that economic growth in the UK will probably pick up in the fourth quarter and remain at a rate that will bolster inflation in the next two years.
Ukraine central bank introduces stability measures
The National Bank of Ukraine announced on Tuesday 30 November that it is forbidding commercial banks from making early deposit withdrawals and has set limits on cash and noncash foreign-currency transactions to preserve stability during the country's…
Meirelles says Brazil has sufficient reserves
The central bank of Brazil is in no rush to buy dollars because its foreign reserve level is sufficient, bank President Henrique Meirelles said.
Poland's PM says zloty may `kill' exports
Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka said in an interview that economic growth may slow because interest rates are at a 19-month high and a rising zloty threatens to "kill" exports.
Norges Bank Financial Stability Report No.2, 2004
The central bank of Norway, Norges Bank, has published its twice yearly Financial Stability Report 2/2004. "The short-term outlook for financial stability is regarded as satisfactory and somewhat improved compared with the situation six months ago," said…
The role of central bank capital
A new ECB paper argues that central banks hold adequate capital. Paul Brione assesses the argument for CentralBankNet.
Revisions to Fed's payments systems risk policy
The Federal Reserve Board announced on Friday 26 November the approval of proposed revisions to its Policy on Payments System Risk (PSR Policy) addressing risk management in payments and securities settlement systems.