News
Poland upgrading banking laws to EU standards
The Polish government has approved amendments to laws on the banking system and the central bank to upgrade them to European Union standards, a finance ministry official said on Wednesday.
Bank of Sudan lowers reserves ratio
The governor of the Sudanese central bank, Mr Saber Mohammed Al-Mahdi, said that the Bank had decided to lower the cash reserves ratio in the local commercial banks from 15% to 10%.
IMF says zloty interventions OK to help reserves
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said Poland's central bank could consider foreign exchange intervention to maintain the ratio of foreign reserves to hard currency liabilities.
Mercosur sets macroeconomic convergence targets
The Southern Cone Common Market, or Mercosur, on Wednesday announced macroeconomic convergence targets, including fiscal and inflationary goals, top officials said.
Strong growth unlikely soon,despite signs-CNB Tuma
Czech National Bank governor Zdenek Tuma said Wednesday that although the economy has exhibited many positive signs in the past year, strong growth is unlikely in the near term.
Czech Vaclav Klaus and CNB Tuma fail to agree
Czech opposition Civic Democratic Party leader Vaclav Klaus and central bank governor Zdenek Tuma today failed to reach agreement on the method of CNB's communicating with other state bodies, Klaus told journalists after the meeting.
Hungary forint regime may change, says minister
Hungary's foreign exchange regime, built around a 4.5% wide flotation band and a crawling peg devaluation, may change next year, finance minister designate Mihaly Varga said on Wednesday.
IMF back in Croatia for stand-by talks, cbank says
An International Monetary Fund mission has returned to Croatia to resume talks over the next week on a stand-by arrangement, the central bank said in a statement on Wednesday.
Lebanon Salameh sees great potential in economy
Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh says he believes that the economy could see healthy growth next year if the country does not suffer from increased regional instability.
IMF X-rays Romanian economy
Romania's progress in reaching stability and continuing reforms is important but insufficient compared with other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a report of the International Monetary Fund about Romania's economic evolution over the last two…
China WTO to boost HK banks, GDP growth - HKMA
China's looming entry into the World Trade Organisation will boost financial services and raise Hong Kong gross domestic product growth by upto 1%, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the territory's de facto central bank.
IMF warns of deepening economic crisis in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe faces a "deepening" economic crisis unless the government reverses its missteps of the past two years by cutting back on defense and public sector wages, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday.
International reserve level still strong, says BNM
Bank Negara Malaysia said its international reserves have declined by only RM1.8 billion since end-1999. From The Business Times (Malaysia)
Uganda president nominates new central bank chief
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has nominated Treasury Secretary Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile to fill the vacant post of central bank governor, officials said on Tuesday.
BIS says US gold scheme suit 'without merit'
The Swiss-based Bank for International Settlements rejected as baseless on Tuesday a US lawsuit alleging the BIS conspired with central banks and major international investment houses to keep the price of gold low.
BCB Fraga on the list of presidential candidates
Right-wing coalition PFL party president Jorge Bornhausen named Banco Central do Brasil chairman Arminio Fraga as a candidate for the 2002 presidential elections who could achieve unanimity between the government coalition.
Staff morale inquiry at BoE could take 6 months
An inquiry into ailing staff morale at Britain's central bank ought to be completed within six months, a member of its governing body said on Tuesday.
Czech central bank concerned about external growth
A possible slowdown of Western European economies is identified as a risk to growth in the coming months, according to minutes released Tuesday by the Czech National Bank from the most recent policy meeting.
Manila may cut reserve requirements in January
Philippine central bank governor Rafael Buenaventura said the bank may delay lowering bank reserve requirements until January next year.
Failure to reach agreement over ex-Yugo gold
The governors and vice-governors of central banks which emerged after the break-up of the former Yugoslav federation failed to reach an agreement on the distribution of gold and foreign currency reserves at the International Bank for Settlements in Basel…
Namibia City Savings Investment Bank board sacked
An interim board has been appointed to run the troubled City Savings and Investment Bank (CSIB) whose previous directors angered the Bank of Namibia so much it fired them all.
Brazil cbank chief loses cool in Congress hearing
Brazil's master of monetary policy, central bank chief Arminio Fraga, lost his calm demeanor for once on Tuesday in a rare outburst, slamming a left-wing lawmaker who accused the bank of not doing enough to cut interest rates.
Uruguay to see 2% growth in 2001
Uruguay's economy minister said Tuesday he expects the small South American economy to shake two years of recession and economic stagnation and grow by 2% in 2001.
Slovak cbank to lower reserve requirement in 2001
Some monetary policy instruments of the National Bank of Slovakia will undergo changes in the future, according to vice governor Elena Kohutikova.