News
French audit office criticises central bank
The French financial press reported that France's audit office, Cour des Comptes, has submitted what it described as a very severe report on the way in which the Banque de France is managed.
BOJ fails to sell planned funds
The Bank of Japan failed to drain a planned amount of funds in its money market operation on Thursday 24 March for the first time in some 49 months, the central bank said.
PBOC says Zhou's comments mis-reported
The People's Bank of China has denied reports that governor Zhou Xiaochuan told a closed door conference in Beijing this week that one-year deposit rates might be lifted in the second quarter of the year.
Bank of England MPC Minutes, 9 &10 March
The minutes from the 9 &10 March meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee published on Wednesday 23 March showed Paul Tucker voted for the second month in a row to raise interest rates, and was joined by deputy governor Andrew Large,…
Fed raises rates, retains 'measured' stance
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 22 March to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 2-3/4 percent. In its statement the FOMC retained its "measured" stance on interest rate increases, adding that "pressures…
Juncker rejects central bank concerns on pact
EU leaders have formally endorsed reforms to the stability and growth pact. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, current President of the European Council and President of the Eurogroupe, said the agreement was cleared after a "brief debate".
Reform delay could harm Turkey's stability
Turkish central bank governor Sureyya Serdengecti said in an interview with the Financial Times that a further delay in completing reforms tied to a new $10bn loan deal with the IMF could put the country's economic stability at risk.
Taiwan to introduce more secure banknotes
The Central Bank of China (CBC) is scheduled to launch new NT$500 and NT$1,000 bills on 20 July featuring strengthened anti-forgery functions, CBC Governor Perng Fai-nan said Wednesday.
Bond yield gains should reflect Japan's economy
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Wednesday 23 March the central bank does not want increases in bond yields that aren't underpinned by the performance of the economy.
Bank of Japan Minutes, 16 and 17 February
The Bank of Japan's minutes from its 16 and 17 February monetary policy meeting published on Tuesday 22 March revealed that the policy board again discussed changing a central plank of its policy - the target for commercial banks' reserve deposits.
China yuan move should be 10% - ex-HKMA's Latter
China would need to revalue its currency by at least 10 % in order for such a move to be credible to the markets, according to Tony Latter, former deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
Russia increases euro weighting
The Russian central bank said on Monday 21 March that it had doubled the weighting of euros used to calculate the nominal exchange rate of the ruble from 10 per cent to 20 per cent at the expense of the dollar.
Singapore plans Islamic banking boost
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the country plans legal changes to make it easier for banks to offer Islamic banking services.
Fed expected to raise rates Tuesday 22 March
It was widely expected that the Federal Reserve would boost its target for the federal funds rate by another quarter-point at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Tuesday 22 March.
Euro reforms make economic sense - Eichel
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said in an interview on Tuesday 22 March the deal easing the rules that underpin the euro means the pact can now be used in an economically smart, growth-oriented way.
ECB statement on Stability and Growth Pact
The European Central Bank's Governing Council released a statement on Monday 21 March on the ECOFIN Council's report on Improving the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact.
Zhou says nearly time for interest rate reform
Time is nearly right for market-oriented interest rate reforms and China's banks should learn to set their own interest rates, Xinhua news agency quoted People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan as saying.
ECB's Noyer says euro not pressuring markets
Christian Noyer, governor of the Bank of France and member of the ECB's governing council, said at an international conference on Monday 21 March that the euro is not exerting any pressure on global financial markets in spite of its growing influence and…
Stiglitz warns on World Bank violence
Joseph Stiglitz, the former chief economist of the World Bank, has launched an attack on US plans to appoint Paul Wolfowitz as the World Bank's new president. He suggested the appointment could lead to violent protests.
Venezuela's Chavez calls for law on reserves
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called for new legislation to limit the amount of foreign reserves that can be held by the central bank.
ECB 'seriously concerned' over stability pact
The European Central Bank expressed serious concern on Monday about proposed reforms to the European Union Stability and Growth Pact that were announced over the weekend.
Interview with ECB's Trichet
In an interview published on Wednesday 16 March, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said the bank continues to see moderate economic growth in the eurozone during 2005, despite recent signs of "greater dynamism" in investments and…
Interview with Bundesbank's Weber
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday 16 March, Bundesbank president Axel Weber said with higher incomes resulting from an increase in 2006 German employment, there should be better consumption and thus a recovery in the domestic economy.
Elections to the Board of Directors, Denmark
The five-year terms of three of the 25 members of the Board of Directors expire on 31 March 2005. At a meeting on 15 March the Board of Directors re-elected Helle Bechgaard, Director, Niels Fog, Merchant, and Kirsten Stallknecht, Former President of the…