News
BoE’s Shafik to step down early
Deputy governor reveals she is to take up post as director of the London School of Economics in 2017, leaving the central bank more than two years before her term was due to end
Central banks are not fintech accelerators – Bundesbank official
German payments authority says fintech should receive equal regulatory treatment to banks
PBoC faces the ‘most challenging work of all central banks’ – HKU’s Xiao
The People’s Bank of China needs to meet short-term goals of exchange rate and price stability to achieve longer-term structural and financial reform, says Hong Kong University professor Xiao Geng
IMF’s Singh urges central banks to beware of collateral impact of policy
Senior economist says asset purchase programmes have drained quality collateral from the system, damaging the economy’s “financial plumbing”
Fed finalises rules for countercyclical capital buffer
US central bank promises it will only adjust the buffer gradually and will seek comment before doing so, after consultation flagged concerns
Fiat currencies stand firm against bitcoin
The cryptocurrency is a victim of its own success as strong demand pushes its price up, increasing speculative flows
Bank of Finland looking to streamline and upgrade payments simulator
Economist sheds light on the bank’s plans for adding new features, improving efficiency and integrating agent-based modelling
Changes to central bank law mooted in the Philippines
Proposed changes include oversight of more financial institutions as well as the capacity for the central bank to place harsher sanctions on illegal transactions
ECB delays decision on policy redesign
Mario Draghi says committees will investigate “smooth implementation” of asset purchases, but offers no new policies today; highlights signs of greater willingness for government action
George and Lacker push back against calls for Fed governance reform
Presidents say mixed public-private funding and governance helps protect the independence of the regional Feds, though others warn private banks are having too much say in policy
People: Turkish deputy appointed; Dominican Republic governor and deputy to serve again
Former HSBC and Citigroup banker joins the ranks of the Central Bank of Turkey; long-standing Dominican Republic governor and deputy invited to serve again; and more
Kganyago justifies Sarb’s response to ‘troubling mix’ of issues
Sarb governor says the public should be “satisfied” but not “happy” with the current economic outlook, given that monetary policy has only offset some of the problems causing high inflation
Carney deflects criticism of Brexit response
MPs question BoE officials on whether broad package of monetary easing was an overreaction; Forbes explains four factors behind dissenting vote
Swedish inflation starting to look stronger, as Riksbank holds
Outlook is “fraught with uncertainty”, central bank says, though the domestic economy seems to be returning to more normal levels
Volatility in virtual currencies will not deter usage – new research
Model implies exchange rate will become less volatile as virtual currency becomes more established, questioning idea that volatility will impede use
‘Iconic’ Irish central bank property put on market
No asking price for Dame Street site – sale is by best bid; more than 1,500 central bank staff to move to new site in North Wall Quay
Norges Bank to publish minutes for first time
Central bank plans to release details of all aspects of executive board meetings except for monetary policy deliberations, citing growing interest and requests for disclosure
German economist wins central bank prize
Klaus Adam wins award jointly sponsored by SNB, Bundesbank and National Bank of Austria for “innovative work” on asset prices and monetary policy
BoE exhibition to juxtapose new fiver with historical banknotes
BoE to open currency gallery a week before the launch of the new £5 note; museum to feature banknotes from eras throughout history
University of Buckingham to launch first central banking master’s degree
Monetary economics to form core of the year-long course; university hopes programme will enrol around 12-15 students in the first year
RBNZ tweaks LVR rules following consultation
New rules to apply to investors nationwide, placing 5% “speed limit” for lending above LVRs of 60%; proposed new measures to come into force in October due to banks’ deadline concerns
More than AML fears driving correspondent banks away from Arab economies – report
AMF-IMF-World Bank survey of banks in Arab nations finds a broader de-risking to be behind pull-back of correspondent banking, though trend is uneven
Rajan debunks central banking myths in final address
Outgoing governor completes valedictory tour with a cross-examination of the contradictory demands on the RBI, restating the value of central bank independence
Nepalese central bank governors banned from retiring to financial sector
“Cooling-off” period adjusted for central bank employees under new legislation; former governors prohibited from working in the financial sector