News
Lithuania bought 1.6 tonnes of gold as part of euro switch
Purchases representing around 25% of total gold holdings made during switch to euro; Bank of Lithuania investment director tells Central Banking investments are now more diverse
BoE minutes remind markets not to be complacent
Minutes show MPC firmly positioned for coming rate hike; economists suggest central bank may be warning markets they have overestimated willingness for easing
Bank of Portugal considers conflict of interest
Working group will consider whether share portfolios held by central bank board members could be considered a conflict of interest; local reports suggest Varela has stake in Portuguese banks
Toyota executive slated to join BoJ board
Yukitoshi Funo, former head of company's US operations, nominated to replace Yoshihisa Morimoto at pivotal moment for the Japanese central bank
Public to vote on design of €2 commemorative coin
Eurozone residents invited by European Commission to pick one of five designs for a coin marking the 30th anniversary of the EU flag; partly a tool for raising awareness of economic governance
Fed’s Claessens challenges banking Balkanisation theories
Theories emphasising the collapse in cross-border credit since the financial crisis fail to capture a ‘secular trend’ towards emerging markets, says Fed senior adviser
Economists split on reality of cross-border co-operation
Panelists at an event in London see continued obstacles to countries working together effectively during a crisis, although regional co-operation could be a partial solution
Bank of Mexico lays out new rules for local derivatives
Interest rate swaps will have to be traded on electronic platforms and derivatives exchanges and transacted through clearing houses, according to new rules
Central banks of Colombia and Peru expect bond impact from Fed rate hike
Even though markets are already anticipating a Fed interest rate hike, it will still have an impact on bond markets and asset prices, the governors of the central banks of Colombia and Peru argue
Volcker proposes new regulatory structure with Federal Reserve at its heart
The Volcker Alliance sets out proposals for a new regulatory structure in the US that seeks to address the ‘fragmentation, overlaps and glaring gaps’ in the current system
Greece raids local authorities for cash as repayments loom
Local authorities instructed to transfer cash balances to treasury accounts at the Bank of Greece; Constâncio says default would not ‘automatically’ push country out of the eurozone
Sri Lanka’s Mahendran cleared of direct involvement in bond scandal
Governor not directly involved with irregularities in treasury bond auction, but tighter supervision of central bank operations is needed, committee finds
PBoC steps up support with reserve ratio cuts
People’s Bank of China cuts the ratio for the second time this year, with observers pointing to pressure on the monetary base from foreign exchange outflows as a motivating factor
Carstens-led IMFC urges policy-makers ‘to attenuate’ spillovers and spillbacks
Fund calls for ‘careful calibration’ of policy normalisation; endorses use of capital controls as a last resort
Proactive regulation could help a billion to access financial services by 2020
RBI’s unique ID decision helps 33 million people gain access to financial services in six months; proactive approach by regulators could help World Bank offer finance to another billion people
Europe/US policy divergence ‘good news’ for monetary system, says top central banker
Spill-overs should not be a factor in monetary policy decisions; precedents for European and US policy to diverge, says top-level European central banker
Nothing magical about targeting 2%, Bernanke says
Former Fed chair calls for further research on ‘alternative intermediate targets’ for monetary policy during IMF panel; will work with hedge fund Citadel as adviser on range of topics
BoE challenged US Treasury on G-Sii status of Berkshire Hathaway
UK regulator asked for clarity on Berkshire's place in provisional list of systemically important firms
IMF projections may be ‘too pro-cyclical’ warns Vergara
Central Bank of Chile president questions whether a drop in productivity has occurred recently, suggesting potential growth was actually ‘lower than previously thought all along’
Caribbean countries should use fiscal policy to fight exchange market pressure
Report from economists of several Caribbean central banks lays out the path for fiscal sustainability in the region; recommends using exchange market pressure as trigger for fiscal correction
Fed presidents still divided on timing of rate hike
Heads of the Federal Reserve Banks in Atlanta, Boston and Cleveland offer different takes on current economic conditions; all united in desire for more data
Constâncio fleshes out wider macro-prudential vision
Vice-president at the European Central Bank wants toolkit to extend to a wider range of financial entities, including asset managers, as risks emerge elsewhere in the system
Bank of Portugal was ‘overly cautious’ intervening in BES
A more assertive attitude from the Bank of Portugal could have resulted in the ‘possible mitigation of impacts’ arising from the BES case, finds parliamentary committee
Lagarde calls for ‘new multilateralism’ and pledges to move ahead on reform programme
Global policy agenda for coming year says the integration of key emerging market economies would ‘generate positive global spillovers and stability gains’