News
PBOC's Wu says room for reserve requirement hikes
China has more room to raise the level of reserves that commercial lenders are forced to store with the central bank, a senior People's Bank of China (PBOC) official said Thursday 8 March.
Trichet says ECB may not be done yet on rates
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday 8 March he is not saying that ECB interest rates are necessarily at a peak after increasing interest rates.
Poland's Balcerowicz warns on Western welfare
"Developing countries should not always look to the West for a model of the welfare state," said Leszek Balcerowicz, former president of Poland's central bank on Tuesday 6 March.
Japan's Iwata on unwinding yen carry trades
Bank of Japan deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said Wednesday 7 March recent financial market developments, including the unwinding of yen carry trades, were "technical position adjustments" by investors who have been "complacent" about asset price…
Japan to tap business chiefs for BOJ board- report
Japan's government will appoint a vice president of the country's largest trading company and a shipping company executive to the Bank of Japan's monetary policy board, the Nikkei business daily said Wednesday 7 March.
Netherlands' Wellink defends position on ABN
Dutch central bank chief Nout Wellink, who expressed concerns about hedge fund TCI's push for a break-up of ABN AMRO, said in a letter published by the Wall Street Journal Europe Wednesday 7 March that his scrutiny was justified in order to ensure a…
Venezuela speeding reserve diversification
Venezuela will speed up plans to pare holdings of dollars in its international reserves to reduce the nation's dependence on the world's most widely held currency, central bank president Gaston Parra said on TV Wednesday 7 March.
BOJ deputy Muto seen as favourite for governor
Many economists think that deputy Bank of Japan governor Toshiro Muto is the leading candidate to be the next Japanese central bank governor, a Jiji Press survey showed Friday 2 March.
Japan MoF's Watanabe is watching FX markets
Japan's finance ministry is observing developments in foreign exchange markets very closely, but this is business as usual, Hiroshi Watanabe, vice minister of finance for international affairs, told MNI.
Goldman Sachs role for ex-RBA chief
Global investment bank Goldman Sachs said on Monday 5 March that former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Ian Macfarlane, will join its ranks as an international adviser.
Greenspan sees one-third chance of 07 recession
Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said in an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday 6 March that there's a "one-third probability" of a U.S. recession this year and that he is careful not to make life difficult for Ben Bernanke.
China reforms would cut volatility says Paulson
US treasury secretary Henry Paulson said Tuesday 6 March that the global economy is as strong as he's ever seen and that reforms in China would help reduce market volatility.
Bank of Canada holds interest rates steady
The Bank of Canada held its benchmark overnight lending rate steady at 4.25 per cent Tuesday 6 March saying the risks to its forecast remain balanced, despite the wild swings in global financial markets recently.
Brazil's fin min says Bevilaqua's exit was routine
The resignation of Brazilian central bank economic policy director Afonso Bevilaqua represented a routine change that won't alter the direction of policy at the institution, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Friday 2 March.
RBNZ re-appoints Arthur Grimes to Board
Arthur Grimes has been re-appointed as a non-executive director on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Board for a second five-year term, finance minister Michael Cullen announced Monday 5 March.
Oman could still join currency union says Suwaidi
There is a strong possibility that Oman could join a regional currency union if a simpler version than the one currently on the table were adopted, the governor of the UAE central bank, Sultan bin Naser Al Suwaidi, said on Saturday 3 March.
Iran plans banknote with atomic symbol - reports
Iran, which is currently embroiled in a row with the West over its nuclear ambitions, will issue a new banknote this month carrying an atomic symbol, newspapers reported on Sunday 4 March.
PBOC's Wu says FX reserves to be used vigorously
A new state investment company in charge of investing China's vast foreign exchange reserves will be established, said Wu Xiaoling, vice governor of the People's Bank of China on Monday 5 March.
Zhou says China's yuan band may be widened
Yuan flexibility is "desirable" and China can consider "gradually" widening the yuan's trading band, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said Monday 5 March.
Public finances 'an obstacle' to Czech euro bid
The current state of the Czech Republic's finances is an obstacle to the country switching to the euro, a top official at the Czech central bank (CNB) said in an interview published Friday 2 March.
Brazil's central bank econ director resigns
Brazilian central bank economic policy director Afonso Bevilaqua resigned Thursday 1 March citing "personal reasons" and an interest in "pursuing new projects," the central bank said in a statement.
New IMF chief economist nominated
International Monetary Fund chief Rodrigo de Rato said Wednesday 28 February he would recommend Simon Johnson, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as the IMF's new chief economist.
Romania not rushing on euro entry - report
Romania will resist European Central Bank advice to bring forward its target date for adopting the euro, opting instead for a more cautious path towards the single currency, the Financial Times reported Friday 2 March, citing central bank governor Mugur…
No recession coming says St Louis Fed chief
St. Louis Fed president William Poole on Friday 2 March rejected fears that the U.S. economy was heading into a recession, saying that while there "could be a recession," one isn't likely, echoing comments this week by former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan.