News
Banks upped exposure to troubled eurozone states in first quarter: BIS
Bank for International Settlements says first quarter figures show exposure to Portugal, Greece and Spain grew, in spite of default worries
Afghanistan’s Fitrat says Kabul Bank no longer in danger: reports
Bank of Afghanistan governor Abdul Qadeer Fitrat claims beleaguered Kabul Bank is out of danger, despite continued run on bank, reports say
Adia appoints new chief economist
Chief economist Ted Chu joins Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund from General Motors
ECB documents success of eurozone retail payment systems
European Central Bank releases comprehensive overview of the payments systems, including underlying concepts and the role of the central bank; book notes success of Step1 commercial payment system
ECB’s González-Páramo highlights flaws in collateral framework
European Central Bank executive board member José Manuel González-Páramo acknowledges risks in central bank’s willingness to accept broad range of collateral
Settlement system gets go-ahead from RBNZ
Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Securities Commission give “statutory backing” country’s third settlement system; system a joint venture between central bank and stock exchange operator
Banks need more time to reform pay standards: IIF
Institute of International Finance says lenders need more than year to bring pay standards in line with Financial Stability Board’s principles; regulators must speed up coordination efforts
Trichet to be first head of European Systemic Risk Board
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet will chair continent’s new systemic risk board until the end of his term; proposal reflects compromise between parliament and national governments
MEPs win out on powers for new European supervisory bodies
Pan-European authorities will have the power to impose emergency measures and intervene with financial institutions, after parliamentarians gained ground in compromise agreement
Fuld and Fed’s Baxter at odds over Lehman failure
Ex-Lehman Brothers’ chief Dick Fuld blames Federal Reserve for failure of investment bank; New York Fed general counsel Thomas Baxter says central bank could not have provided liquidity lifeline
Bernanke: Fed won’t rule out leaning against wind
Regulation should be “first line of defence” against bubbles, but FOMC is monitoring financial imbalances
Buba calls for Sarrazin to be sacked over racist comments
Bundesbank executive board votes unanimously in favour of removing Thilo Sarrazin; central bank takes firm line after Sarrazin’s anti-Semitic remarks spark outrage
Fed cannot bear full burden of job creation: Fisher, Plosser
Regional Federal Reserve presidents Richard Fisher and Charles Plosser say loosening monetary stance further will not cure unemployment ills; monetary policy no panacea for macroeconomic problems
Indonesia moots new rule to boost bank lending
Bank Indonesia to propose range of loan-to-deposit ratios to encourage lending; banks prefer to park deposits in money market due to perceived default risk
Rajan, Krugman clash over Fed policy
Ex-IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman lock horns over Federal Reserve’s loose monetary stance
FX market going global: BIS
Bank for International Settlements’ triennial survey of foreign exchange markets shows decline in prevalence of local transactions, dollar and sterling
Governors from five continents meet in Jackson Hole
Roster of attendees shows 41 central bank heads travelled to the wilds of Wyoming for Jackson Hole meet; number of Fed officials in attendance falls by a third
Afghan governor insists country’s biggest bank is solvent
Bank of Afghanistan governor Abdul Qadeer Fitrat refutes reports top officials at Kabul Bank have been fired due to corruption; stresses bank remains solvent as graft rumours threaten to spark run
Brown’s ex-spokesman denies Blair claim over Bank independence
Gordon Brown’s former spokesman Charlie Whelan says first Tony Blair knew about decision to grant Old Lady responsibility for setting rates was when Brown announced move after election
JP Morgan slashes commodity desks
Fate of other prop desks unclear ahead of enactment of Volcker Rule
Anti-Semitic remarks could end Sarrazin’s term at Buba
Bundesbank condemns executive board member Thilo Sarrazin for racist comments; will hold hearing before deciding on future
BoJ expands fixed-rate fund supply on growth, yen fears
Bank of Japan unveils six-month term to existing fixed-rate funds operation; facility to expand by $238 billion on fears of weak US growth, yen strength
Core principles mostly apply to micro lenders: Basel Committee
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issues final report on applying core principles to microfinance providers; tweaks needed on credit risk, capital adequacy and risk management
Spanish debt office in negotiations on credit support annex thresholds
Government agency looks to alleviate funding costs for bank counterparties in swaps transactions