News
Economy improving, O'Neill tells bankers
US - The U.S. economy is likely grew at least 3 percent during the third quarter and will show slightly more robust performance in the current quarter and beyond, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill predicted in Phoenix on Monday.
Chinese central bankers in visit to Taiwan
TAIWAN - A China central bank delegation heading to Taiwan may include the highest-level official yet to visit the island as Taiwan banks prepare to open their first offices across the strait, the Taipei Times said.
Afghan bank governor wants aid to be productive
INTERVIEW - Afghanistan's U.S.-educated central bank head says he wants to see the war-ravaged country standing on its own feet economically within four to five years. In an interview given to Reuters at the weekend he also revealed he has two full time…
Brazil central bank moves to prop up currency
BRAZIL - Brazil's Central Bank on Monday made it more expensive for banks to hold foreign currency and gold assets in hopes of propping up its own local currency, the real.
Central Bank of Russia offers more zodiac coins
RUSSIA - The Central Bank of Russia will issue more coins of the Zodiac series, starting tomorrow. It will be Scorpio now-silver two-rouble pieces and gold 25 roubles. Up to 20,000 silver coins will appear in circulation, and up to 50,000 gold, said the…
Bank of England News Release
NEWS RELEASE - Bank of England Meetings in Manchester and Liverpool, 7 October.
New appointments at the Riksbank
PRESS RELEASE - At its meeting on 3 October, the Executive Board of the Riksbank decided to appoint the Head of the Monetary Policy Department Claes Berg advisor to the future Governor Lars Heikensten with effect from 1 January 2003.
Afghanistan launches new currency
AFGHANISTAN - Afghanistan launched a new currency on Monday aiming to regain control of an economy devastated by more than 23 years of war and internal strife. Redenomination of the afghani will involve lopping three zeros from a currency so eroded in…
Former Latvia cb chief wins most seats in election
LATVIA - The newly-formed New Era party of ex-central bank chief Einars Repse has obtained the most seats in a close-run race in Latvia's parliamentary elections. Based on official provisional results from all but one polling station, Repse's party…
Takenaka asks BoJ to set inflation target
JAPAN - Financial Services Minister Heizo Takenaka has asked the Bank of Japan to set an inflation target in a bid to ease deflation pressure seen as a result of banks' bad loan write-offs.
IMF's Kohler calls for ECB rate cut
EUROPE - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler said the European Central Bank should cut interest rates soon to help boost the economy.Koehler said he believes a drop in rates would stimulate growth, adding that central bankers must…
Russian Central Bank boosts assets 19%
RUSSIA - The Central Bank of Russia increased its assets from 1.72 trillion rubles to 2.04 trillion rubles, or 19.2%, in the first eight months of 2002, the Central Bank reported. Assets slipped 2% in August.
European Parliament Press Release, 3 Oct
PRESS RELEASE - ECB President to meet the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Tuesday 8 October.
Russia's for ex reserves up again in September
RUSSIA - Russia's international reserves grew 1.292bn dollars, or 2.9 per cent in September, to 45.619bn dollars from 44.327bn dollars.
Mrs Duisenberg may be taken to court - report
NETHERLANDS - Gretta Duisenberg, wife of European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg, is in trouble again.
BSP urged to monitor forex trading activities
PHILIPPINES - The peso continued to succumb to the dollar-buying pressure yesterday as it closed 3 centavos weaker to a fresh 14-month low of 52.68 to $1, prompting Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho to ask the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central…
New Afghan currency to come into circulation 7 Oct
AFGHANISTAN - The head of Da Afghanistan Bank, the central bank, Dr Anwar al-Haq Ahadi, has said the new currency will be put into circulation on 15 Mizan [7 October 2002] and said that the exchange process of the old currency for the new one will be…
Egypt's Mubarak in charge of central bank
EGYPT - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday that the central bank would come under his office's supervision, in a bid to deal with an estimated $2,6bn bad debt problem affecting local banks.
Canberra may halt issue of government bonds
AUSTRALIA - Australia, which has one of the lowest national debts in the world, is considering stopping the issue of government bonds and running down its existing portfolio in what local economists say would be a first for a developed country.
Bank of Korea says FX reserves reach $116.69bn
KOREA - The Bank of Korea (BOK) announced yesterday that Korea's foreign exchange reserves stood at $ 116.69 billion as of the end of September 2002, increasing by $ 150 million from the end of August.
Afghan trade minister speaks of new currency
AFGHANISTAN - The trade minister of Afghanistan, Sayd Mostafa Kazemi, has said that Afghanistan has a positive view on capital and capital investment. He also said the new currency of Afghanistan will be a credible currency and our central bank has the…
Baht slide part of regional trend-Bank of Thailand
THAILAND - The recent depreciation of the baht was in line with other regional currencies, the Bank of Thailand said yesterday.
Bank of Canada warns on inflation rate
CANADA - The Bank of Canada said yesterday inflation would remain higher than expected until the middle of 2003 but analysts said it was still too close to call whether the bank will raise interest rates at its next policy announcement on 16 October.
Interest rates will fall says New Zealand's Cullen
NEW ZEALAND - Interest rates should start to come down following the change to the Reserve Bank's inflation target, New Zealand Finance Minister Michael Cullen told the Financial Times in London Thursday.