News
Kohler proposes Takatoshi Kato as new IMF deputy
IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler proposed the appointment of Takatoshi Kato as Deputy Managing Director on 9 October. Kohler said: "Mr. Kato is no stranger to the workings of the Fund having spent a large part of his career in high level positions…
More secure, colourful $20 note makes its debut
"After months of seeing them roll off of the presses, I am honored to spend the first new $20 bill in my hometown of Washington, D.C.," said James Brent, the chief of the office of currency production in the U.S., on 9 October.
Mboweni against Africa's single currency proposal
SARB governor Tito Mboweni has said he is against the idea of the rand being adopted as Africa's single currency when the African Monetary Union is established, according to a report by SABC News. Mboweni said it would be much better to start afresh,…
Japan shows quantitative easing works- Fed's Poole
St Louis Fed president William Poole said in the latest edition of the Regional Economist publication, reported by Reuters, that "Japan showed us that a central bank has more than one tool to work with", although many thought Japan had run out of…
Central bankers debate Basel II delay in Madrid
The central bankers and bank supervisors charged with creating a new regime for bank capital were due to meet in Madrid on Friday 10 October to decide whether to postpone the implementation of the rules, according to the Financial Times. The issue was to…
Bank of Japan eases monetary policy
The Bank of Japan voted to ease monetary policy slightly on Friday 10 October. according to a report by CNN Money. In an unexpected move the BoJ raised the ceiling of its account balance target by two trillion yen ( $18.33 billion ) to a range of 27…
Zimbabwe withdraws travellers' cheques
The Zimbabwean government has ordered the withdrawal of its travellers' cheques, according to Business Day, barely two months after they were introduced to remedy the country's cash shortage. A senior central bank official said on Thursday 9 October that…
ECB shake-up in response to staff discontent
The European Central Bank is to reshuffle its management in response to claims that the eurozone central bank is becoming too bureaucratic, the Financial Times reports. Feelings inside the bank's Eurotower headquarters in Frankfurt have been running high…
Nigeria threat to sue UK over seized £3m
The Nigerian government has called on the UK to return £3m ($5m) it says was stolen from the Nigerian central bank, the Financial Times reports. The matter concerns three suitcases of cash seized at Heathrow airport and kept by the UK Treasury, as it was…
ECB says euro rise not a threat to growth
ECB governing council member Matti Vanhala said on Thursday 9 October that the euro's strength was not "a significant hindrance" to eurozone growth and the dollar's weakness would help to "fix global imbalances", according to the Financial Times…
Crunch meeting for Caruana - Special Feature
CentralBanknet's Monday special feature focuses on the Basel Committee's current crunch meeting in Madrid and the key issues for Jamie Caruana's chairmanship.
BoE holds UK interest rates steady at 3.5 pct
As most analysts predicted, the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged for the third month running on Thursday 9 October at 3.5 per cent, Reuters reported.
Bulgarian Parliament elects new central bank chief
Ivan Iskrov was elected governor of the National Bank of Bulgaria on Thursday 9 October after Parliament approved the appointment by 140 votes to 50 with 20 abstentions, according to a report by Bulgarian News Network
Swiss National Bank calls for deregulated economy
In his debut speech, reported by the Financial Times, the Swiss National Bank's board member for financial markets, Philipp Hildebrand, called for broad deregulation of the domestic economy to tackle unemployment and protect the country's long-term…
RBA credit card reforms: Visa/Mastercard to appeal
Visa and Mastercard said on Thursday 9 October that they would appeal against last month's Federal Court ruling which upheld credit card reforms by the Reserve Bank of Australia, according to a report by Dow Jones. Visa said that the RBA regulations give…
Uzbek currency to become convertible, 15 Oct
Uzbekistan's government has announced that the currency will become convertible from 15 October, Interfax reports. An IMF mission ascertained that the government and the central bank have fully implemented all measures agreed upon under a joint plan of…
ECB hits out at France and Germany
The European Central Bank called for "complete compliance" with the EU's stability and growth pact in its monthly report released on Thursday 9 October, according to Expatica. The ECB said the pact was vital to success of the single European currency,…
New colourful US $20 bill in circulation
The Federal Reserve's new $20 bill came into circulation on on Thursday 9 Octobe, NBC4 Columbus reports. The new greenback is no longer just green. With the help of blue and peach tones, a new eagle, watermarks, and other safety features, officials hope…
Fed's Ferguson says productivity key in long-term
Fed governor Roger Ferguson said on Wednesday 8 October that productivity growth, while posing a short-run economic challenge, was crucial to long-term U.S. economic health, according to a report by Reuters.
Fundamentals in place for economy upturn says Bies
Federal Reserve governor Susan Bies said on Wednesday 8 october that the building blocks are in place for better growth in the tepid U.S. economy, according to a report by Reuters. "Business investment increased over spring and summer, and the household…
ECB launches web page for forecasters' survey
The European Central Bank launched a web page dedicated to the results of the ECB's Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) on 9 October. Since 1999 the ECB has conducted this quarterly survey among forecast experts from both financial and non-financial…
Central bank declares Afghani sole legal tender
From Tuesday October 8, Afghanistan will no longer accept the US dollar and other foreign currencies as legal tender, according to VOA News. Central Bank Governor Anwar ul-Haq Ahady said that new stability has allowed him to make the move, at last, to an…
Bank of England Court to meet in Nottingham
The Court of the Bank of England is to meet in Nottingham at the Council House on 15 October 2003. The meeting is part of a programme of formal meetings of Court outside London.
ECB adopts new regulations on minimum reserves
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank has adopted new regulations on money and banking statistics and the application of minimum reserves, 7 October.