News

French bank chief hits at government

FRANCE - Jean-Claude Trichet, governor of the Bank of France, on Friday added his weight to criticism of the centre-right government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin for not being more ambitious in its efforts to cut its budget deficit in line with European Union…

Non-bank credit card rules due in Thailand

THAILAND - Financial regulators were directed to draft measures to regulate credit cards issued by non-bank institutions by next month. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday chaired a meeting on a proposed new credit card bill.

Armenian MPs discuss amendment on money laundering

ARMENIA - The Armenian parliament has discussed in its first reading a package of draft laws on amendments to the current Armenian laws "On banks and banking activities", "On the Central Bank of Armenia" and "On credit activities" submitted by the…

IMF News Brief

NEWS BRIEF - IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler to Visit Mauritania, Algeria and Tunisia during 14-21 October.

Takenaka calls on BoJ to help fight deflation

JAPAN - Heizo Takenaka, Japan's economy minister and the new head of the Financial Services Agency, on Wednesday called on the Bank of Japan to co-operate with the government on tackling deflation.

Brazil imposes stricter bank equity requirements

BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank has raised the equity requirement for banks holding US dollars, in a bid to halt the local currency's slide against the dollar, Brazilian central bank regulations director Sergio Darcy was quoted as saying by local press.

Polymer notes not now: RBI

INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India has said that there is no immediate plan to introduce polymer or plastic currency notes to replace the existing paper notes.

European Central Bank Public Consultation

CONSULTATION - Measures to improve the efficiency of the operational framework for monetary policy, 7 October. The proposed changes are of a technical nature with euro area credit institutions and banking and financial market associations addressed under…

Heikensten: Financial risks slow down recovery

PRESS RELEASE - First Deputy Governor Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank today, 9 October, gave a speech under the heading "Some monetary policy issues" at the Center for Business and Policy Studies' (SNS) annual conference on the economic…

Balkans pact on division of gold

YUGOSLAVIA - Yugoslavia and four former Yugoslav republics have agreed to divide $87m (£55m) worth of gold left over from the Yugoslav federation, a Bosnian government spokesman said yesterday.