News
RBNZ hikes rates for first time in three years
Reserve Bank of New Zealand raises its key rate to 2.75% and signals gradual tightening will continue until the rate has increased by 'about two percentage points'
Banque de France ‘is active’ in onshore renminbi market
French central bank has invested in Chinese government bonds through the onshore renminbi market; Bank of England angles for London clearing bank
MAS spearheads Bitcoin exchange regulation
Central bank is one of the first to act on regulating virtual currency exchanges, although controls are limited to money laundering and terrorist financing
ECB technically prepared for negative deposit rates
The ECB has made the IT adjustments necessary to cut its deposit rate below zero, according to Bundesbank’s deputy head of markets, but the policy has its drawbacks
Nigerian deputy governor moots tax on FDI dividends and capital transfers
Kingsley Moghalu laments emerging markets' ‘Faustian bargain' with short-term portfolio investors; moots explicit measures to stem capital outflows in wake of Fed taper
Praet says ECB minutes could spell end for forward guidance
Executive board member Peter Praet says publishing ‘accounts’ of governing council minutes might reduce the need for forward guidance
Turkish central bank award aims to promote research in central banking
Turkey award follows the Carl Menger Prize for Research launched by the Bundesbank, the National Bank of Austria and the Swiss National Bank in January
Belgian governor’s term extended, successor named
Luc Coene will serve another year as governor despite reaching retirement age this week; Council of Ministers says he will be succeeded by director Jan Smets in March 2015
Cyprus names auditor-general as new central bank governor
Cypriot president moves fast to appoint Chrystalla Georghadji, the head of the state audit office, as successor to Panicos Demetriades, who resigned from his post earlier this week
BoE to create new deputy role amid FX rigging controversy
Bank of England will create new deputy governor post to get a better grasp of financial market dynamics, Mark Carney said in hearing yesterday
Carney pledges to push BoE FX investigations 'all the way'
Bank of England governor Mark Carney pledges to get to the bottom of allegations that UK central bank condoned market manipulation in FX markets
BoE could act as lender-of-last-resort for Scottish banks
Bank of England's Mark Carney refers to European Union's discretionary approach during euro crisis; suggests independent Scotland would need to increase foreign reserves
BoJ holds rates as tax hike looms
Bank of Japan policy board holds QQE steady and maintains economic assessments in its last meeting before consumption tax hike comes into effect
Bank of Zambia tries to talk down forex market ‘panic'
Bank of Zambia aims to arrest ‘panic' in foreign exchange market amid reversal of portfolio flows; hiked reserve ratio requirement on Monday in attempt to strengthen currency
ECB sets out second phase of asset quality review
The European Central Bank reveals the methodology of its asset quality review and provides guidance for national authorities tasked with executing the inspection
BIS economists give forward guidance mixed review
Research in quarterly review says forward guidance has shaped market expectations but warns it could ‘encourage excessive risk-taking’ in the markets
Demetriades resigns as Cyprus governor
Resignation brings an end to the long conflict between the Cypriot governor and the president; Demetriades will leave in April after less than two years in the role
Bank of Canada revamps website
The Canadian central bank has sought to simplify the design of its website and make it easier for users to locate information across a variety of devices
RBA takes next step in opening up payments market
Shake-up of access regimes aims to give more room for competition in the Australian payments market; proposed changes still need amendments to legislation to go ahead
Fed not to blame for recent emerging market sell-off, says BIS
Recent rush of capital out of emerging markets was due to country-specific factors, not tapering by the Fed; Borio reiterates call for better policies, lamenting a ‘disappointing element of déjà vu’
Hämäläinen returns to ECB in latest SSM board appointments
Central bank fills three of its four slots for representatives on the SSM’s supervisory board, with former board member Hämäläinen joined by Canadian supervisor Julie Dickson, and the ECB's own Ignazio Angeloni
FOMC members discuss international spillovers of Fed monetary policy
Charles Plosser and Richard Fisher sound off on accommodating policies' impact on other countries, but make no promises of international considerations on FOMC
IMF minutes to go public after three years, not five
IMF plumps for greater transparency for the majority of its board meetings, but those used to discuss allocation of fund resources will stay secret for five years
Swiss upper house rejects initiative that would force SNB to double gold holdings
Proposal that would require central bank to hold at least 20% of total assets in gold is slated for referendum but political establishment is strongly opposed