News
Sharp rise in Indian forex reserves by US $326 bn
INDIA - The country's forex reserves have registered a sharp rise of $326 million to touch $44.135 billion for the week ended August 10, as against $43.809 billion in the previous week.
KDB to operate central bank's loan to SMEs
SOUTH KOREA - The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) will soon be subject to the central bank's ceiling on loans to small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs).
Yugoslav c bank gov says for ex reserves growing
YUGOSLOVIA - Yugoslav National Bank (NBJ) Governor Mladjan Dinkic has said a new banknote was expected by the end of September this year - of 1,000 dinars.
Japanese banks seek to avoid disclosure
JAPAN - Japan's banks are seeking to avoid revealing potential losses on their derivative portfolios by lobbying regulatory authorities to postpone legislation that forces them to disclose the market value of their positions.
Thai MPC to evaluate c bank market actions
THAILAND - Thai central bank Deputy Governor Pakorn Malakul Na Ayudhya said 21 August that when the Monetary Policy Committee meets Aug. 29, it will look into risk management and standards for Bank of Thailand's activity in the foreign exchange, bond and…
Economist Webb may be new Peru c bank chief
PERU - President Alejandro Toledo will name economist Richard Webb as the new president of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, a high-level source is reported to have told Dow Jones Newswires.
Shiokawa - Government, BOJ In Agreement On Policy
JAPAN - Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said 21 August the government and the Bank of Japan were in agreement on policy and the central bank was taking into account the administration's views on policy.
Japan gov't panel starts debate on BOJ policy
JAPAN - The Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy has started talks on the direction of monetary policy, set by the Bank of Japan, as a way of stemming deflation, and will likely issue a set of proposals in September calling for further credit easing.
Japanese financial regulator reprimands ING Baring
JAPAN - ING Barings Japan, the investment bank, has been reprimanded by the Financial Services Agency (FSA), the country's chief banking regulator, for issuing inaccurate and misleading research, and has also been ordered to tighten internal compliance…
French/German growth difference not structural
GERMANY - France's economic growth has outpaced that of Germany for several years recently but the stronger growth was due to special, not structural factors and the gap should narrow in the future, the Bundesbank said on 16 August.
An anxious countdown to new euro cash
BELGIUM - BELGIUM - In two weeks, thousands of armoured trucks will fan out across Europe to start supplying banks with crisp bills and shiny coins denominated in euros, the single continental currency that will replace the German mark, the French franc…
S.Lanka central bank allows import prepayment
SRI LANKA - The Central Bank of Sri Lanka on 20 August lifted restrictions on the prepayment of import bills introduced earlier this year to stabilise the foreign exchange market.
Japanese investor waits for Slovak c.bank approval
SLOVAKIA - Japanese company Japan Grade One Co Ltd. that wants to buy Devin banka through a 3-billion SKK capital injection has submitted all necessary documents to the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) that the central bank needs to officially acknowledge…
German banking fed cuts 2001 growth forecast
GERMANY - The German banking federation (BVB) said on 20 August it had cut its forecast for German growth for 2001 to 1.0 - 1.5 percent from an earlier 1.5 percent.
China tighten grip on overseas operations of banks
CHINA - China unveiled rules on 20 August aimed at tightening supervision of the overseas operations of Chinese banks to prevent financial risk.
Indonesia expects IMF deal within days
INDONESIA - A deal to resuscitate Indonesia's loans from the International Monetary Fund, frozen since last year, could be finalised as early as 23 August, according to the Indonesian government.
Bank of Japan targets deflation
JAPAN - Japan's central bank is ready to consider further steps to bolster the country's troubled economy, with an inflation target now a possibility, according to top finance officials.
UAE c bank to launch real time settlement system
UAE - The UAE Central Bank will launch the Real Time Gross Settlement System in the UAE on August 25, 2001.
Back to Bretton Woods
UK - The anti-globalisation protesters have a point, argues Felix Rohatyn a former US ambassador to France, in the London edition of the Financial Times, 20 August. It is time to reform the IMF and World Bank, he says.
Turkish police silence chained protester
TURKEY - Turkish police on 20 August detained a man who chained himself to iron railings outside Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's office in protest at a hard-hitting economic crisis, state-run Anatolian news agency said.
IMF and World Bank plan to meet protestors
US - The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have agreed to a public debate with leading anti-globalisation activists during the organisations' annual meetings to be held in Washington next month.
Asian Monetary Fund not a bad idea - US official
USA - The administration of President George W. Bush would support the future establishment of an Asian IMF, a senior U.S. official said today, 17 August.
Fraga says he may stay on in opposition government
BRAZIL - Central Bank chairman Arminio Fraga said on 16 August that he may accept to keep his position after President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's mandate, which ends in 2002.
Thailand rejects IMF interest rate advice
THAILAND - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on 17 August rebuffed an IMF suggestion that Thailand should not rule out cutting interest rates, saying rates were already low enough despite the need to boost the faltering economy.