News
Hungary central bank sees tensions with govt
Hungary may be able to cut interest rates further if inflation comes down as expected, but tensions between the central bank and the government will limit the scope for rate reductions, central bank president Zsigmond Jarai said.
EU newcomers should not rush to join euro
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said Friday the 10 countries that joined European Union in May should not rush to join the euro or the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II until they were really ready.
Interview with ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo
In an interview published this week, ECB Executive Board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo speaks out firmly against changing the wording of the Stability and Growth Pact, saying: "The Pact is a cornerstone of the currency union. Nobody had questioned…
ECB President visits the National Bank of Romania
Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, visited the National Bank of Romania on Monday 18 October and met with Governor Mugur Isarescu and the Executive Board of the National Bank of Romania.
RBNZ Financial Stability Report, October 2004
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Thursday 21 October issued the first of a regular series of Financial Stability Reports which will assess the current state of New Zealand's financial system. Topics covered in the October 2004 report include: a review…
CBN autonomy may be under threat
The wholesale autonomy granted to the Central Bank of Nigeria could soon be under threat after Deputy Chairman of Banking and Currency Committee said in Enugu this week that issues of economic interest to the nation should not be left in the hands of the…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Sep 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index was -0.01 in September, off slightly from a downward-revised +0.03 in August. The small decline in the monthly index was primarily due to a slightly larger negative contribution from the employment-related…
IMF pressures China over flexible yuan
The International Monetary Fund has again pressured Beijing to revalue its currency, the Renminbi yuan, China Daily reported on Thursday 21 October.
Brazil raises rates for second month in a row
Brazil's central bank raised interest rates on Wednesday 20 October for the second consecutive month amid concerns about high oil prices and growing domestic demand.
Malaysia set to launch plastic money soon
Malaysia's central bank said on Thursday 21 October that it will launch plastic banknotes next week, joining a growing trend for the more durable 'paper' money.
Bank of England MPC Minutes, 6&7 October
The minutes from the 6 and 7 October meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England were released on 20 October. All nine MPC members voted to keep interest rates unchanged at 4.75 percent this month, while there seemed to be no…
Yuan reform feasible says PBOC adviser
Making the exchange rate of the Chinese currency more flexible was feasible, although it would result in many problems, a top central bank adviser was quoted as saying on Tuesday 19 October.
Fed's Olson sees no housing 'bubble' in US
Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson said on Tuesday 19 October thatthe United States does not have a house price "bubble" because the national market is too large.
Minister says Poland to meet euro criteria in 2007
Poland will be ready in 2007 to join the euro, Polish Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki said on Wednesday 20 October, following a report which said that none of the 10 new EU members yet meet the criteria for adopting the single European currency.
ECB says new EU members deficit cutting 'too slow'
In a report published Wednesday the European Central Bank said countries including the Czech Republic and Hungary, which joined the European Union this year, have been "too slow" in reducing budget deficits and meet requirements to join the euro.
BoE's Central Banking courses 2005
The Bank of England's Centre for Central Banking Studies has published a provisional list of Seminars and Workshops to take place in London in 2005.
Fed's Olson says US economy still improving
Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson said on Monday 18 October that although the US economy was improving it had not maintained the pace it had been expected to. Olson also said rising oil prices have put a damper on the economy's performance, but he did…
Renewed central bank gold sales not disruptive
A report by London metals researcher GFMS suggests that renewed selling of gold by central banks is unlikely to be a major disruptive factor in the market, Business Day reported on Tuesday 19 October.
BOJ's Sept. Monetary Policy Mtg Minutes
The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its 8 and 9 September Monetary Policy meeting on 18 October. The minutes showed that the bank was not greatly worried by a slowdown in export and industrial output growth, seeing it as due to temporary factors…
Bank of Canada raises interest rates by 0.25%
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 19 October that it is raising its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 2 1/2 per cent. The bank said that given the effects of higher oil prices and the past appreciation of the…
MEPs set to discuss ECB performance with Trichet
MEPs are to debate the performance of the European Central Bank with Jean-Claude Trichet on 25 October when they consider a draft report from Alain Lipietz (Greens/EFA, FR) for the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
PBOC's Zhou calls for deposit insurance
China should make the setting up of a bank deposit insurance system a priority to protect savers and help liquidate indebted banks, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan was quoted on Monday 18 October as saying.
Who manages the public debt?
Over the last decade, central banks have been the losers as dozens of countries have created powerful standalone financial supervisors. Is debt management going the same way? CentralBankNet reports on another speciality that may be slipping from the…
IMF assesses financial stability in Norway
A delegation from the IMF is currently visiting Norwegian authorities and financial market participants to gather information about the Norwegian financial system.