News
Policy issues for central banks in retail payments
The Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) published the report Policy issues for central banks in retail payments on 10 March. The report was prepared for the CPSS by its Working Group on Retail Payment Systems, which comprises payment…
EC and ECB strengthen co-operation on statistics
The European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) signed on 10 March a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Economic and Financial Statistics.
Philippine central bank head takes one month leave
The governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Rafael Buenaventura, is to leave his post for a short time and seek medical treatment in the United States, according to a Dow Jones report.
GCC customs union to meet in Riyadh
A meeting of the Gulf Customs Union Committee in Riyadh will review the execution of decisions since the launch of the GCC in January. The meeting will review progress, says Gulf News, and also look at potential problems facing importers and exporters.
Outgoing BOJ's Hayami says only so much we can do
As governor Masaru Hayami prepares to bow out of the Bank of Japan he spoke at his final news conference, reported by Pacific Business News. He said that the central bank could not cure Japan's economic woes on its own and that social and political…
Koehler- Major economies can still ease mon policy
Horst Koehler said in a speech, reported by Channel News Asia, that interest rates still have room to fall further for the world's major economies. He also suggested that fears of a global recession were over-played despite ongoing uncertainty.
Ex-governor Rivlin says Fed is out of ammunition
Ex Federal Reserve governor Alice Rivlin has said that the central bank is out of ammunition and that fiscal policy makers are better placed now to step in, if the US economy declines further, according to a Dow Jones report.
Polish premier - Abolish Monetary Policy Council
Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller said on Monday 10 March in a radio interview that the central bank's RPP interest rate setting committee should be abolished, according to PAP news agancy. His comments come after sustained criticism of the National…
Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting, 13 & 14 February
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting on 13 and 14 February 2003, released 10 March. The Bank's policy board discussed possible policy-easing steps, including an increase in purchases of Japanese government bonds or more…
New BoJ governor to be approved by Diet
Toshihiko Fukui's appointment as the new governor of the Bank of Japan will be approved by the Diet on 13-14 March, according to a report by Kyodo News service.
BoJ and Japanese government to boost stock prices
Following further falls in the Nikkei Dow, Kyodo News Service announced that the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan have agreed to take steps to boost stock prices which have suffered further falls with the threat of conflict in the gulf.
Uzbek central bank takes currency reform measures
Uzbekistan's central bank is working with the government on measures to liberalise the domestic currency market in preparation for full convertibility of the som, the Uzbek currency, Narodnoye Slovo announced.
Eduardo Aninat to leave IMF post in June
Eduardo Aninat announced on 7 March that he will step down from his post as deputy managing director of the IMF in June. A report in the Financial Times said that his successor might be Arminio Frago, the former governor of the Brazilian central bank.
Eduardo Aninat leaving IMF
A brief profile of Eduardo Aninat who will leave his post as Deputy Managing Director of the IMF in June
BIS play down fears for US economy
The regular BIS meeting of top central bankers on Monday played down fears for the US economy with Bank of England Governor Sir Edward George saying that "a gradual strengthening of the U.S. economy seems a more likely prospect than significant weakening…
Joseph Yam appointed Chairman of the BIS ACC
The Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on Monday 10 March announced Joseph C K Yam as Chairman of the BIS Asian Consultative Council (ACC). Mr Yam is Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
G10 meeting on banking supervision
Meeting of G10 central bank governors and heads of banking supervision - The G10 central bank governors and heads of banking supervision met on 9 March in Basel to discuss issues related to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
ECB Press Conference, 6 March
PRESS CONFERENCE - At the press conference which followed the ECB's decision to reduce interest rates Thursday Wim Duisenberg intimated that the circumstances which led to the cut have only really become clear in the last month. Price stability over the…
Outgoing BoJ chief doubts market interventions use
Speaking on Friday Bank of Japan governor Masaru Hayami said he thought central banks attempts to intervene in the foreign exchange market were not vary effective.
RBZ lacks autonomy, says economic analyst
An economic analyst for the Zimbabwe Economic Society has said that Zimbabwe's central bank lacks independence, with the governor appointed by the president and the government able to borrow money "willy-nilly" from the central bank.
UK Treasury criticised over Bank appointments
UK chancellor Gordon Brown faced criticism on Thursday over the lack of transparency in the appointments process to the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
Inflation targeting, growth move in sync - Mboweni
A low inflation environment supports economic growth and no one can oppose that, said Tito Mboweni. The South African Reserve Bank governor was speaking in his first lecture at a university he is an honorary professor of.
Fed's Gramlich: Iraq impact 'imponderable'
Ed Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said on Thursday that a conflict with Iraq would have consequences for the US and world economy but that the effects were impossible to predict.
Bank of Mexico in paintings mix up with government
CentralBankNet hears of an unfortunate mix up involving valuable paintings, the Bank of Mexico and an apparent infringement of copyright on the central banks fine art collection.