News
IMF: Give Bank of Israel full independence
A comprehensive IMF report recommends that the Bank of Israel is given independence from government control. It also highlights areas where the Bank can improve transparency, according to Globe online.
Interest rates unchanged as Fed awaits war
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Tuesday March 19 in a unanimous vote but left open the possibility of a cut if the economy suddenly worsened, according to a report by Associated Press.
Fed building part-closed after 'explosives' threat
Tuesday's FOMC meeting, March 19, did not go without a hitch CentralBankNet learns. A report from Reuters said that a man described as a "disgruntled tobacco farmer" claiming to be carrying explosives forced the closure of part of the Federal Reserve…
MPC voted 8 to 1 to keep UK rates on hold
Minutes of the Bank of England's last meeting of its interest rate setting MPC showed that the Committee saw growth slightly below trend in the short term. The Committee also felt exchange rate depreciation was likely to put upward pressure on inflation…
Swedish central bank cuts rates again
The Sveriges Riksbank trimmed interest rates further on Tuesday March 18, blaming continued uncertainty and the threat of war, according to a Reuters report.
ECB's Solans: Inflation pressure not a major worry
After cutting interest rates recently to stimulate the sluggish eurozone economy, executive board member Eugenio Domingo Solans has said inflation is not a major concern at the moment and the ECB sees "very modest" growth this yea, according to a Dow…
US plans post war change to Iraq's central bank
The US Treasury is making plans for the running of Iraq's economy after a US led war on the Gulf state ends, according to The New York Times. The plans include the rebuilding of the Iraqi central bank and the establishment of a new currency.
Report says Gretta Duisenberg's son in drugs case
A report from Expatica in the Netherlands says that Gretta Duisenberg's son is accused of possessing and trading in drugs.
New BoJ chief signals more aggressive policy
In testimony on Tuesday March 18 the new governor of the Bank of Japan, Toshihiko Fukui, pledged to cushion Japanese economy from any war shocks and said the BoJ would consider broadening the range of assets it buys as part of its controversial scheme,…
Basel Committee comment on Share-based Payment
Basel Committee Comments on IASB Exposure Draft ED2 Share-based Payment, 18 March.
Kohler sees a short war, but worried by US deficit
Horst Kohler, managing director of the IMF, said he expects a US-led war in Iraq to be short and to have limited impact on the world economy, but is worried about the size of the deficit, according to a Reuters report.
Pakistan economy stable, says State Bank governor
Stressing the stabilty of the exchange rate and liquidity in the market, the The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ishrat Hussain, said war would not require an immediate response from the central bank. Higher oil prices have, however, led the…
Koizumi hands Fukui policy wishlist
The Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, handed a list of five requests to the new governor of the Bank of Japan, Toshihiko Fukui, on Friday 14 March according to a report by Kyodo news agency. These included having deflation under control by 2005…
Uruguay: central bank reserves plummet
Following another fall in forex reserves at the Central Bank of Uruguay and a downgrade in its sovereign rating, default concerns over the Uruguayan currency are rising.
Egypt: 6-month BOP surplus of 152.7m dollars
The governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has presented a report to the country's president in which he said that the balance of payments realized a surplus of 152.7m dollars during the first six months of the current fiscal year compared to a…
Korea's central bank props up markets
Following another corporate accounting scandal, the Bank of Korea has intervened to in Korean money markets, according to a BBC news report.
Publication of Sveriges Riksbank Inflation Report
On Tuesday, 18 March, the Riksbank will present this year's first report on monetary policy to the Riksdag Finance Committee. Pursuant to the Sveriges Riksbank Act, the Riksbank must present a written report on monetary policy to the Committee at least…
Norges Bank's regional network
In autumn 2002, Norges Bank established a regional network of enterprises, organisations and municipalities throughout Norway. We will have six rounds of talks each year with business and community leaders concerning financial developments in their…
S. Korea central bank concerned over nuclear issue
Bank of Korea governor Park Seung has spoken of the concerns he has for the Korean economy with geopolitical factors and the North Korean nuclear issue, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Ukrainian MPs to see secret central bank data
Members of Ukraine's parliament are to be allowed access to files previously kept secret by the central bank. interfax reported that the Ukrainian Constitutional Court upheld the right of MPs to request access to NBU data.
Japanese parliament approves central bank governor
Toshihiko Fukui was approved on Friday March 14 as the next governor of the Bank of Japan, as reported by Kyodo News Service. His five-year term of office will begin next Thursday, March 20.
Former Venezuelan c bankers claim gov't runs bank
A report suggests that the Central Bank of Venezuela is under government control with the central bank endorsing government policies - violating its Constitution, accrding to a report by Vheadline.
Brazil's Senate approves 3 central bank directors
Brazil's central bank has approved the nomination of three new directors with an overwhelming majority, according to a Reuters report.
Split over Iraq may hit new Basel bank rules
A report in the Financial Times suggests the new Basel 2 rules update may suffer damage from the transatlantic war split and signs exist of a loss of patience with the long drawn out discussions. The result could be a degrading of the accord, the report…