News
Eurozone inflation estimate reaches ECB 'ceiling'
Eurostat released a preliminary estimate for April inflation in the eurozone Friday showing that the rate had risen to a higher than expected 2.0 per cent from 1.7 per cent in March.
Classical King
A while back we reported that Bank of England governor Mervyn King was spotted out at an hour-long symphony by Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich at London's Royal Festival Hall. Now a press report says, shock horror, he has been seen carrying a CD of…
RBNZ increases interest rates to 5.5%
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand increased its Official Cash Rate from 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent on Thursday 29 April. RBNZ Governor Alan Bollard commented on the decision "The New Zealand economy continues to perform strongly and this is being…
Sweden holds rates steady at 2%
At its meeting on Wednesday 28 April the Executive Board of the Riksbank decided to leave the repo rate unchanged at 2 per cent. After a mild economic downturn the recovery in the Swedish economy has proceeded largely as expected, the Riksbank said.
Logica implements Chile RTGS system
Logica announced on Thursday the successful implementation of its Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) System for the Banco Central de Chile (BCC), Chile's Central Bank.
SNB: Swiss franc not hindering recovery
Current Swiss franc exchange rates are not hindering the country's economic rebound, and while market intervention remains an option, it is not an issue at the moment, Swiss National Bank (SNB) directorate member Philipp Hildebrand said in an interview…
Request for comment on payments system risk policy
The Federal Reserve Board on 21 April requested comment on proposed revisions to Part II of its Policy Statement on Payments System Risk (PSR Policy), which addresses risk management in payments and securities settlement systems.
SADC central bank governors to meet in Botswana
Thirteen Southern African Development Community (SADC) central bank governors are expected in Gaborone, Botswana on Friday 30 April to attend the biannual meeting of the committee of Central Bank Governors.
Basel II talks over by end June - Caruana
Financial regulators expect to end talks to redraft global banking regulations, known as Basel II, by the end of June, Jaime Caruana, head of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, was quoted as saying on Tuesday 27 April.
BoE's Bell hints at need for higher rates
A member of the Bank of England's nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee thinks interest rates need to rise, according to an interview. Continued above trend growth, she said, would likely impact on prices.
China must be careful over forex rate- Premier Wen
China must be careful before changing its fixed exchange rate because any rash change could mean trouble for the economy and that of the rest of the world, Premier Wen Jiabao said in an interview on Wednesday 28 April.
Japan lifts growth forecast
The Bank of Japan said on Wednesday 28 April that it expects the country's economy to expand at an even greater rate than it forecast six months ago, but repeated that mild deflation will continue in the current fiscal year.
US unveils $50 note with enhanced security
US government officials from the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the United States Secret Service, on Monday 26 April unveiled the new $50 note design with enhanced security features, and subtle background colours of blue and red, and…
Euro's reserve growing, ECB's Issing says
The euro's growing role as a global reserve currency is "unavoidable", the European Central Bank's chief economist Otmar Issing said Monday 26 April.
Deficits remain obstacle for new EU members
The greatest hurdle preventing the EU accession countries from joining the euro quickly is the state of their public finances, European Central Bank executive board member Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa said in a newspaper interview.
PBOC's Zhou: no G7 pressure for forex shift
Finance ministers of the Group of Seven did not show impatience with China's fixed exchange rate, Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, said in an interview.
Iraq aims to increase foreign bank entry
Iraq's central bank governor said on Monday 26 April that he is recommending removing limits to the number of foreign banks that can operate in Iraq.
Preparing for cross-border bank failures
Increasingly, small countries will not supervise their systemically importantbanks. They will still have to pick up the pieces in a crisis though. ProfessorDavid Mayes, special adviser to the Bank of Finland, examines how they canrespond.
ECB rates not an obstacle: Stark
The current level of interest rates in the 12-country eurozone is no obstacle to economic growth in the single currency region, the Bundesbank's interim president Juergen Stark said in newspaper interviews on Monday 26 April.
Welteke to face probe this week
Former Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke is to be interrogated on Wednesday 28 April by prosecutors in the so-called "Adlon" affair, in which the central bank chief is accused of illegally accepting gifts, the mass-circulation daily Bild reported on…
G7 upbeat on world economy
Finance chiefs from the world's G7 nations agreed on Saturday 24 April that the global economic outlook had brightened significantly but the threat of further oil price rises was one of the few clouds on the horizon.
Rates in line with economy: ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell
Euro zone interest rates are in line with economic conditions, European Central Bank Executive Board member Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell said in an interview released on Sunday 25 April.
France, Germany pressured ECB over rates-report
The European Central Bank faced more pressure for lower interest rates from the euro zone's biggest countries, France and Germany, at Saturday's meeting (April 24) of the world's top economic powers, an EU source said.
Russia appoints new first deputy chairman
Russia's first deputy finance minister, Alexei Ulyukayev, is moving to the central bank to oversee monetary policy as first deputy chairman.