News

IMF's Kohler calls for ECB rate cut

EUROPE - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler said the European Central Bank should cut interest rates soon to help boost the economy.Koehler said he believes a drop in rates would stimulate growth, adding that central bankers must…

Russian Central Bank boosts assets 19%

RUSSIA - The Central Bank of Russia increased its assets from 1.72 trillion rubles to 2.04 trillion rubles, or 19.2%, in the first eight months of 2002, the Central Bank reported. Assets slipped 2% in August.

BSP urged to monitor forex trading activities

PHILIPPINES - The peso continued to succumb to the dollar-buying pressure yesterday as it closed 3 centavos weaker to a fresh 14-month low of 52.68 to $1, prompting Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho to ask the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central…

New Afghan currency to come into circulation 7 Oct

AFGHANISTAN - The head of Da Afghanistan Bank, the central bank, Dr Anwar al-Haq Ahadi, has said the new currency will be put into circulation on 15 Mizan [7 October 2002] and said that the exchange process of the old currency for the new one will be…

Egypt's Mubarak in charge of central bank

EGYPT - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday that the central bank would come under his office's supervision, in a bid to deal with an estimated $2,6bn bad debt problem affecting local banks.

Canberra may halt issue of government bonds

AUSTRALIA - Australia, which has one of the lowest national debts in the world, is considering stopping the issue of government bonds and running down its existing portfolio in what local economists say would be a first for a developed country.

Bank of Korea says FX reserves reach $116.69bn

KOREA - The Bank of Korea (BOK) announced yesterday that Korea's foreign exchange reserves stood at $ 116.69 billion as of the end of September 2002, increasing by $ 150 million from the end of August.

Afghan trade minister speaks of new currency

AFGHANISTAN - The trade minister of Afghanistan, Sayd Mostafa Kazemi, has said that Afghanistan has a positive view on capital and capital investment. He also said the new currency of Afghanistan will be a credible currency and our central bank has the…

Bank of Canada warns on inflation rate

CANADA - The Bank of Canada said yesterday inflation would remain higher than expected until the middle of 2003 but analysts said it was still too close to call whether the bank will raise interest rates at its next policy announcement on 16 October.

Ukraine sets up for ex and stock market watchdog

UKRAINE - The Ukrainian government has decided to create a special commission to monitor and control the activities of Ukraine's exchanges, the government's press service reported on Wednesday. The press service was referring to a government ruling.

Advocate of hard-landing may join Japan debt team

JAPAN - Japan's best-known advocate of a "hard-landing" solution to the banking crisis is likely to be named this week a member of the taskforce charged with drawing up proposals to tackle the financial system's mountain of bad debts.

CBR's Kozlov - Delete Russia from FATF black list

RUSSIA - Russia has all the chances to be deleted from the "black list" of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Such an opinion was expressed by first deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia Andrei Kozlov who made an appearance at the National…

Solomon Islands to tighten revenue collection

SOLOMON ISLANDS - The Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) has taken measures to strengthen monitoring and administration of exports and imports towards enhancing exchange control requirements and government revenue collection.