News
Norges Bank notes to feature innovative optical thread
Choice of security features swayed Norges Bank away from polymer; new series of notes to feature Crane security thread
Aussie dollar drops as RBA cuts inflation outlook
Reserve Bank of Australia cuts forecasts for headline and underlying inflation; lowered its key rate by 25bp to 1.75% earlier this week
People: Nagel leaves Bundesbank; GIC makes string of appointments
Joachim Nagel steps down from Deutsche Bundesbank executive board; Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund creates new posts and fills others; East African Community gets new secretary-general
New UK law confirms Bank of England governance reforms
Bank of England and Financial Services Bill receives royal assent, cutting number of MPC meetings to eight a year; National Audit Office role expanded, but not into policy
Riksbank adviser Segendorf offers insight into distributed ledger technology
Financial stability adviser evaluates the benefits of adopting distributed ledger technology and what effect digital currencies will have on cash
ECB scraps production of €500 note citing concern over illicit activities
The European Central Bank will stop producing the €500 note over concerns it facilitates criminal activities; move does not aim to increase the effectiveness of monetary policy, spokesman says
Philip Lowe picked as next RBA governor
Deputy governor Lowe will succeed Glenn Stevens, who says there is “no-one better qualified” to lead the Reserve Bank of Australia
Central banks may be at risk after Greek website attacked
Denial-of-service attack takes Bank of Greece website down for several minutes; reports point to hacking group Anonymous, and the potential for other central banks to be targeted
World Bank report sees risks if Mozambique continues to raise rates
Report praises efforts of central bank so far but says further tightening could harm certain sectors of the economy; exchange rate volatility having adverse effects on debt
IMF staff call for new macro-prudential tools in Denmark
Danish authorities told to consider placing limits on debt to income ratios; macro-prudential measures suggested by IMF staff to complement existing regulation
Riksbank minutes highlight effort to protect rising inflation
Executive board members saw potential for krona appreciation as a risk to inflation outlook; broad support for additional asset purchases, but some questions over size
Fed presidents navigate ‘mixed signals’
Dennis Lockhart is putting more weight on positive employment picture than disappointing growth stats; both he and Robert Kaplan see potential for labour force to expand
Draghi points to savings glut in some eurozone countries
Germany and others are contributing to a global savings glut, Draghi argues; renews call for structural reform and rejects appeals to curtail monetary expansion
Bank of Canada identifies first ‘prominent' payment system
The Automated Clearing Settlement System is considered "central" to Canadian payments and must now meet risk management standards based on global PFMI
Sub-Saharan African countries need more responsive policy – IMF staff
Some central banks “impeded” in pursuit of primary mandate; staff report discourages government and structural development financing
Esma finds CCPs resilient ‘overall’ in first stress test
European Securities and Markets Authority says first annual stress tests show European central counterparties are “overall” well prepared to face “extreme but plausible” market shocks
RBA cuts to 1.75% as data disappoints
Glenn Stevens points to “unexpectedly low” inflation data as the Reserve Bank of Australia cuts its key rate by 25bp; Australian dollar slides following decision
People: Fed appoints new director; Ghana and Uzbekistan add deputies
Matthew Eichner named director of reserve bank operations and payment systems at the Fed board; Bank of Ghana and Central Bank of Uzbekistan name new deputy governors
SNB officials fend off latest ideas for reform
Thomas Jordan and Jean Studer warn of the damage that could be done by proposals including sovereign money, broader mandate and using reserves to create sovereign wealth fund
IMF staff weigh options for tackling Chinese NPLs
Technical note authored by three IMF employees considers how securitising NPLs or converting them to equity might work in the Chinese context; latest CBRC figures show the stock is growing
Bean welcomes bid to increase ONS access to public data
Reforming the legal framework will improve ONS access to administrative data, former BoE deputy says, adding the ONS must be more proactive in acquiring and producing data
Liberia appoints board member as new governor
Liberian president appoints Milton Weeks to lead central bank; new appointee was commercial banker and investment adviser
RBI plans to regulate nascent P2P market
Central bank proposes bringing peer-to-peer lending within its regulatory remit, fearing lack of oversight might lead the rapidly growing sector to develop “unhealthy practices”
BoJ holds policy despite weakening expectations
Yen climbs as policy board keeps interest rates and asset purchases at existing levels; growth and inflation forecasts cut while there is “considerable uncertainty” around the outlook