News
RBI to get real time gross settlement system, RTGS
INDIA - Logica India, the Indian subsidiary of UK-based computer services group Logica Plc, on Tuesday said it had been awarded a $16 million contract from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to implement a national real time gross settlement system (RTGS).
ECB gold reserves in 2 Nov week
GERMANY - The Eurosystem's net reserves in gold and gold receivables declined by EUR1 million to EUR128.2 billion in the week ended 2 November, the European Central Bank said Tuesday.
Fraga wants to revoke 500 Finance System norms
BRAZIL - Central Bank President Arminio Fraga said Tuesday that he plans to revoke at least 500 of the approximately 2,000 norms in the National Finance System (SFN) - rules to which Brazilian financial institutions are subject.
Argentina inches closer to debt deal
ARGENTINA - Argentina has edged closer to settling a debt swap deal to save it from defaulting on its international borrowings and effectively going bankrupt.
IMF sees continued gloom for Germany
GERMANY - The German economy should recover from its slowdown in the first half of next year, but business confidence is frail and the government has little room to pursue fiscal expansion, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday, Wednesday.
News release from the Bank of England
NEWS RELEASE - Bank Of England Reduces Interest Rates by 0.50% to 4.0%, 8 November.
Bank of England cuts rates by 0.5%
UK - The Bank of England on Thursday cut Britain's interest rates half a point, taking its key repo rate to a 37-year low of 4.0 percent, in a bid to insulate the country from the threat of global recession.
ECB Press Release - Monetary policy decisions
PRESS RELEASE - European Central Bank press release on interest rate decisions, 8 November.
ECB lowers interest rates to 3.25%
EUROPE - The European Central Bank (ECB) has slashed its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 3.25%, its fourth cut this year and bigger than many economists had dared to hope.
Canada's Dodge - Bank still has room to manoeuvre
CANADA - Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said Wednesday that a high degree of uncertainty continues to hang over the Canadian economy, which is likely to remain weak for much of the next year.
ECB decide on new rate setting schedule for future
EUROPE - Currency market participants welcomed Thursday the European Central Bank's decision to start limiting its interest rate decisions to once a month.
Martin brushes off claims of central bank conflict
CANADA - Finance Minister Paul Martin brushed away suggestions yesterday that he was trying to undermine the independence of the Bank of Canada with comments this week about the bank needing to take action.
Litas banknotes well protected - experts
LITHUANIA - The Lithuanian national currency banknotes have more security features than the new E.U. currency, the euro, the central Bank of Lithuania said following visit by experts from the National Bank of Belgium.
RBI nominee directors to handle risk management
INDIA - Following adverse criticism in the Lok Sabha of the role of RBI and government directors on bank boards, the ministry of finance has decided to concentrate on risk management skills of nominee directors of Reserve Bank of India and the government…
Latvian central banker Repse cleared of corruption
LATVIA - While finding no anti-corruption violations in actions by Bank of Latvia president in announcing one-time collection of donations as royalties he would receive for heading a new right-wing party, the Prosecutor General's Office though warned him…
Federal Reserve cuts rates to lowest since 1961
UNITED STATES - Struggling to reverse the slide in the U.S. economy, or at least to slow it, the Federal Reserve cut short-term interest rates on Tuesday by half a percentage point, to 2 percent, the lowest level since the 1960s.
Australia leaves interest rates unchanged
AUSTRALIA - Australia's central bank has opted to keep its interest rates unchanged on Wednesday despite the US Federal Reserve cutting its key overnight rates by 50 basis points to its lowest level in 40 years.
Federal Reserve Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Monetary policy decisions by the Federal Reserve Board, 6 November.
European Parliament Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Euro change-over: MEPs demand bigger effort from banks and retailers, 7 November.
Duisenberg gives green light for ECB rate cut
EUROPE - European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg appeared Monday to give the green light for an interest rate cut this week as euro-zone finance officials sounded a cautious note about the economic outlook for the 12-member bloc.
Argentine debt swap 'constitutes default'
ARGENTINA - Fitch, the international ratings agency, said yesterday that Argentina's debt restructuring, launched yesterday, constituted a default.
Australian economy stronger than US - Costello
AUSTRALIA - Australian Treasurer Peter Costello said Wednesday that a decision by the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates steady after its board meeting Tuesday isn't surprising given the country is in the midst of an election campaign.
Credit card issuers to benefit from Fed rate cut
USA - Issuers of credit cards, hurt by concerns the weakening economy will ramp up charge-off rates, may get a respite from the latest round of interest rates cuts by the Federal Reserve.
IMF to offer aid to countries in Caribbean
CARIBBEAN - The International Monetary Fund will help Caribbean countries whose economies have been troubled by the slowdown in the global economy and by the attacks on the US, according to Horst Kohler, the fund's managing director.