News
Argentina: largest default in history
ARGENTINA - On Sunday Argentina announced the largest sovereign debt default in history, declaring it would stop paying its $155bn public debt. The new government headed by president, Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, said the country would resist pressure to…
Singing the euro's praises
EURO - The achievement of introducing the euro received praise from the IMF and tinges of regret have been observed in countries choosing not to be part of it. In the eurozone itself measures were being taken to combat over-eagerness for the new currency.
Polish PM challenges central bank
POLAND - Polish prime minister Leszek Miller said today that legislative measures to force change at the central bank were still a possibility if the central bank did not listen to the views of parliament.
New Bank of England banknote
NEWS RELEASE - New £5 Banknote Design, 18 December 2001.
IMF 'blamed' for Argentine crisis
ARGENTINA - The IMF was "instrumental" in engineering Argentina's financial collapse because of irresponsible lending which "exacerbated" its foreign debt problem, foreign creditors have claimed.
Eddie George doubtful on euro
UK - Sir Edward George, the governor of the Bank of England, has pitched into the ongoing debate about potential British entry into the euro, saying that a single economic policy across Europe was a "disadvantage".
EU probes Lloyd's regulation
UK - The European Commission (EC) has begun legal action against the UK government by asking for more information about its regulation of the Lloyd's of London insurance market.
Argentina's peso predicament
ARGENTINA - Argentina's new leaders face a list of problems as long as your arm. But right at the top is devising a solution for the country's blighted currency, the peso.
Fears that euro ATMs will run dry
UK - The stock of euro notes in banks' cash machines is in danger of running out in the first weeks of the new currency's launch on 1 January, bankers have warned.
ECB to re-shuffle board member responsibilities
GERMANY - The European Central Bank said on Friday it had changed some of the responsibilities among its six member Executive Board with effect from 1 January, 2002.
Bank of England MPC Minutes
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Meeting - 4 & 5 December 2001.
Cavallo resigns post as Argentine Economy minister
ARGENTINA - Television in Argentina broke the news that Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo resigned Thursday following several days of nationwide food riots and popular protests against the government's economic austerity policies.
UK economy set to outperform
UK - The UK economy grew faster than previously thought during the year to September 2001, according to new official figures.
CentralBankNet report picked up by national press
CENTRALBANKNET EXCLUSIVE REPORT - On Thursday morning CentralBankNet.com's exclusive report, released on CBNet Wednesday night, was picked up by the national press and the story was carried in Thursday's London edition of the Financial Times (page 14).
Euro notes seek forgery protection
EUROPE - Two of Europe's biggest chip developers may be working with the European Central Bank (ECB) to include tiny radio transceivers in high-value euro banknotes.
5m euros are stolen in three months
EUROPE - Armed gangs and other criminals have stolen Euros 5m ( £3.1m) in the three months since minting and printing of euro notes and coins began, and the situation is set to worsen, European police have warned.
City watchdog to regulate e-money issuers
UK - The Financial Services Authority, the City watchdog, is to extend its regulatory reach to cover organisations issuing "electronic money" used as an alternative method of payment to credit cards.
RBA names new deputy governor
AUSTRALIA - The appointment on Thursday of Mr Glenn Stevens as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia makes him the frontrunner to become the central bank's next governor.
Monetary Policy Transmission in the Euro Area
CONFERENCE - Monetary Policy Transmission in the Euro Area, at the ECB (by invitation only), 18-19 December 2001.
Global '02 econ outlook shaky but not for c banks
ARTICLE - One of the biggest surprises of 2001 was how the global economy's main economic agents responded to signs of recession.
Russian c bank auditors' contest reaches final
RUSSIA - The Russian State Duma's budgetary committee recommended on 18 December to name PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS auditor of the Central Bank of Russia.
South Africa c bank deputy gov retires
SOUTH AFRICA - The Reserve Bank of South Africa confirmed on Wednesday that its senior deputy governor, James Cross, would be retiring for health reasons at the end of December, leaving only one deputy governor at the central bank.
BOE Dec Minutes - MPC Voted 7-2 To Hold Repo Rate
UK - Seven of the nine members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the repo rate on hold at 4.0% in the Dec. 4-5 meeting, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday.
Fed's Meyer skeptical about IMF's bankruptcy plan
US - A senior Federal Reserve policymaker expressed scepticism Tuesday about the International Monetary Fund's plan to allow debt-burdened countries to suspend payments to their creditors, saying it is unlikely to win international political support.