News
US on track to halve budget deficit says Snow
US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Thursday 6 May said that continued American economic growth and strong tax receipts had kept the U.S. government in view of its stated aim of cutting the budget deficit by 50%.
Tanigaki says Japan's economy recovering
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki reiterated on Thursday 5 May that the country's consumers are powering economic recovery and vowed to press on with fiscal reforms, although moderate deflation continued to pose a problem.
US and Chinese officials to meet on yuan issue
Officials from the People's Bank of China plan to meet on Monday 9 May with US Treasury Department officials for continuing discussions relating to various financial issues including China's pegged exchange rate system.
Nigeria appoints deputy governor after resignation
The Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Tuesday 3 May that Dr Obadiah Mailafia will replace Mrs Wahir Mshelia as the Deputy Governor for Policy on Monday 9 May. Mshelia resigned last week with press reports suggesting there were 'strong indications' she…
Brazil's Supreme Court upholds partial immunity
The Supreme Federal Court on Thursday 5 May upheld the decision to give Brazil's central bank President Henrique Meirelles immunity from prosecution from common courts in an ongoing illegal tax and forex transaction case against him, local media reported.
Tokyo urges China to act 'responsibly' on reserves
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said that Japan will manage its foreign-exchange reserves to help create stability rather than maximize profit and called on China and South Korea to also act "responsibly."
Speculation makes yuan shift difficult says China
China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing said excessive speculation that the yuan will be allowed to appreciate is making it harder for the government to loosen the currency's peg to the US dollar.
FATF head to be at anti-money laundering seminar
Head of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Jean-Louis Fort will take part in a seminar on combating money laundering and terrorist financing conducted by the Russian central bank in June.
Bank of Italy claims impartiality over Antonveneta
The Bank of Italy has said it was fair with Banca Popolare di Lodi and ABN Amro Holding NV in their battle to take over Banca Antonveneta SpA, according to a letter sent to EU commissioner for the internal market Charlie McCreevy published by the daily…
Asia set to boost currency attack defences
Japan, China and South Korea are set to join forces to bolster Asia's defences against currency speculators despite diplomatic tensions that had threatened to derail economic cooperation.
Federal Reserve raises rates to 3%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 3 May to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3 per cent. In its statement the FOMC said monetary policy remained "accommodative" and that it expected to continue removing…
Asian central banks set to gather for ACU meeting
Heads and representatives of central banks from ten countries, including India, will visit Pakistan later this month to attend an annual meeting of the Asian Clearing Union, an official of the State Bank of Pakistan said on Tuesday 3 May.
BSP likely to hold rates steady, says Tetangco
The Philippines central bank will likely keep its benchmark overnight interest rates unchanged during its policy meeting on Thursday 5 May , despite the quarter percentage point hike in US interest rates, deputy governor and officer-in-charge Amando…
Bank of Italy rejects criticism in bank takeover
The Bank of Italy launched a counter-attack on Wednesday 4 May against EU regulators, analysts and press reports that claim the Italian central bank and its governor, Antonio Fazio, have favoured Banca Popolare di Lodi in a banking takeover.
ECB rate cut still not an option says Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet ruled out a cut in ECB interest rates on Wednesday 4 May in response to the recent slowdown in euro zone growth. Trichet was speaking at the ECB's press conference after euro zone interest rates were…
Cyprus, Malta, Latvia included in the ERM II
At request, the ministers of the euro area Member States of the European Union, the President of the ECB and the ministers and the central bank governors of Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and the relevant central bank decided to include the Cyprus…
RBNZ reinforces last week's statement
Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Alan Bollard on Tuesday 3 May reinforced his statement of 28 April that economic data suggests that underlying demand and inflation pressures remain strong and that, in this environment, further policy tightening…
Fed expected to raise rates again
Faced with conflicting forces, the Federal Reserve was expected to increase interest rates by a moderate quarter-point at the conclusion of its FOMC meeting on Tuesday, the eighth such increase since last June.
Rato says 'premature' to rule out ECB rate cut
International Monetary Fund managing director Rodrigo Rato said it would be "premature" to exclude interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank while the eurozone economy remains in "a soft patch".
ADB: Malaysian ringgit peg reform long overdue
The Asian Development Bank's top economist said on Tuesday 3 May that it is time for Malaysia to relax its currency peg and strong economic fundamentals will allow the country to adopt a more flexible exchange rate fairly smoothly.
OECD chief says dollar fall is no shock
OECD Secretary General Donald Johnston said on Monday 2 May there was no reason to be shocked by the fall of the dollar against the euro and that developed countries had failed to prepare for a surge in Chinese textile exports.
IMF appoints new director of evaluation office
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has offered Thomas Bernes of Canada the position of Director of the IMF's Independent Evaluation Office, and he has accepted the Board's offer, the IMF said on Monday 25 April.
Bank of PNG appoints deputy governor
The Bank of Papua New Guinea recently announced the appointment of Mr Loi Martin Bakani to the position of Deputy Governor Policy and Regulations. His term is for five years.
HKMA appoints deputy chief executive
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced on Tuesday 26 April that the Financial Secretary has approved the appointment of Mr Y. K. Choi as Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA. Two other appointments were also made, which will all take effect on 1 June.