News
IMF makes FSAPs compulsory
Fund says 25 countries with systemically important financial sectors will be required to undergo check-ups every five years
Bank of Thailand opens shop in China
People's Bank of China says Bank of Thailand's new representative office in Beijing will aid cooperation
Bernanke charts new course for Fed economics
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke suggests research must veer away from assumptions based on classical paradigm; stresses models must better capture irregular behaviour
Nigeria limits state bond holdings; cleans up microfinance
Central Bank of Nigeria places limits on banks’ holding of state government bonds; revokes over a quarter of microfinance licences after serious problems revealed in sector
Fed’s Plosser calls for rules for crisis-fighting measures
Philadelphia Federal Reserve president Charles Plosser says Fed risks undermining its credibility if it does not provide clear policy rules for the exceptional policy measures seen during the crisis
BoJ doing all it can to bolster growth, says Shirakawa
Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa points to central bank’s multiple efforts to boost activity
Banks fear soaring regulatory compliance costs: industry survey
Survey of financial firms shows three quarters of respondents expect costs of complying with Basel III, Dodd-Frank to exceed costs in past three years
Norges Bank sues Citi over subprime-related losses
Norges Bank alleges bank was deceitful over true nature of health; condemns Citi’s subprime mortgage, CDO practices
UK banking commission moots reforms
Commissioners stress they have an open mind as to which structure will best suit British banking industry
New York Fed research finds flaws in inflation expectations polls
New York Federal Reserve research uncovers faults in measuring inflation expectations; says questions on rate of inflation rather than price level provide better guide to future uncertainty
Isoard to head International Association of Deposit Insurers
International Association of Deposit Insurers appoints former governing board member of Mexico's deposit protection agency Carlos Isoard as next secretary general
Rate decisions this week
Majority of central banks stand pat as uncertainties persist over growth, price pressures; Iceland cuts while Turkey, Uruguay tighten policy
FSA worried over excessive EU rules while firm on proportionate solution for hedge fund pay
UK regulator worried heavy handed rules will drive hedge funds out of Europe, depriving supervisors of information on their European activities
Weber’s German defence highlights leadership flaws
Bundesbank president Axel Weber blames deficit countries for eurozone’s woes; analysts say comments further complicate chances at ECB presidency
BIS must fix data gaps: Bank paper
Bank of England paper identifies specific information gaps in cross-border banking statistics published by Bank for International Settlements; improvements thought to be under way
Argentina’s Marcó del Pont nominated for full term
Argentine President nominates central bank governor Mercedes Marcó del Pont for full six-year term, even as inflation soars and currency value drops; deputy, board members also nominated
Reform missed chance to fix mortgage markets: Volcker
Former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker says US mortgage markets are dysfunctional due to reliance on government; renminbi appreciation in China’s own interest
US to launch financial stability council next week
Financial Stability Oversight Council to hold first meeting on 1 October
Bank of Russia wants to scrap kopek coin
Russian central bank proposes that one and five kopek coins be abolished due to high metal prices and low demand
Prop trading restrictions already hurting liquidity, say investors
Restrictions on bank proprietary trading have caused liquidity to fall in both the cash and derivatives markets, forcing buy-side participants to adopt alternative investment strategies
Investors demand premium for Portuguese debt
Auction results show rising cost of Portuguese debt, analysts say investors are sending message to government to tackle deficit
Bank’s Bailey places public at heart of stability remit
Bank of England’s Andrew Bailey says public acceptance of stability goal necessary to stave off future crises
Summers quits Obama’s economic team
Chief adviser to President Obama, Lawrence Summers, announces departure from National Economic Council at end of year
Analysts applaud passage of ESRB, fret over practical concerns
Commentators praise the concept of a continent-wide systemic risk supervisor but say politics and lack of policy clarity could thwart good intentions