News
People: Sri Lanka and Paraguay name new board members
RA Jayatissa and Carlos Carballo Spalding join central bank boards in Sri Lanka and Paraguay respectively; UK firm VocaLink names new CRO
NY Fed’s McAndrews warns negative rates could drag inflation down
Director of research highlights some of the more radical unintended consequences that could stem from negative rates, including new forms of currency and inflation moving in unexpected directions
Alexandre Lamfalussy: 1929–2015
Those who knew him pay tribute to the former president of the European Monetary Institute and general manager of the Bank for International Settlements
Ugandan governor on road to recovery after falling ill
Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile treated in hospital after falling ill last week; now in South Africa for ‘medical review’ where central bank says he is ‘in good spirits’
Governments should work to promote ‘e-commerce’, UN report says
Research presented at the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia outlines policies governments should pursue to harness the benefits of e-commerce
Chicago Fed research charts fall in natural rate of unemployment
Group of economists say an ageing population and rising education attainment could push the natural rate – currently at or below 5% – as low as 4.5% by 2020
Serbia cuts rate amid IMF call for action on debt overhang
National Bank of Serbia cuts rate for third straight month, as IMF warns dangers may lurk beneath robust overall debt position
PBoC cuts interest rates for third time since November
Central bank also lifts cap on deposit rates; moves will do little to stimulate growth amid property glut, analysts predict
Regulators to put CCP risks under microscope
CPMI-Iosco stress-testing quiz will be precursor for broader review of risk management practices
BIS research posits test for unsustainable credit growth
Authors link long-run credit growth with leverage and debt service ratio, proposing a model they claim would have helped predict the 2008 financial crisis three years before it struck
Constâncio suggests new shadow bank powers for Esma
ECB vice-president again underlines need for supervisors to take on new tools and responsibilities for tackling shadow banks, but suggests at least some may be wielded by other bodies
Jobs data recovers in the US as Dudley looks to help small businesses thrive
Non-farm payroll employment increases by 223,000 in April after a difficult March; NY Fed president considers how small businesses can access credit and expand
Malta names Alfred Mifsud as deputy governor
Former chairman of Crystal Finance Investments joins the central bank as a deputy governor; he will ‘primarily’ focus on monetary policy during his five-year term
Hong Kong 'coin carts' rake in cash
Hong Kong Monetary Authority trucks will collect coins from the public; so far, 87,000 people have traded in 78 million coins worth HK$77 million
Riksbank paper warns forecasts often overestimate inflation
Forecasting error has grown in recent years and tends to overstate inflation, paper says, even as first deputy governor says expansionary policy has contributed to rising inflation
European Commission looks to unshackle big data
In its quest to create a digital single market the commission plans to tackle restrictions on the free movement of data; champions transition to ‘open science’
Opposition from big banks to RBA interchange fee curb
Large commercial banks and payments providers warn of damaging impact of regulating interchange fees, but smaller challenger payment systems are broadly in favour
Currency shifts could create ‘dilemma’ for Asian economies
IMF regional economic outlook warns policy-makers could face an ‘uncomfortable trade-off’ between external competitiveness and financial stability
EU risks have intensified, supervisory authorities warn
Risks have worsened since mid-2014, European supervisory authorities say; report recommends including costs arising from misconduct sanctions in future stress tests
Yellen says stability risks ‘not elevated’
Fed chair tells Christine Lagarde she does not see ‘the precursors of a financial crisis’, but singles out high stock valuations as a ‘potential danger’
Lift-off for ASX Aussie dollar swap clearing business
Volumes jump in the first three months of the year following revamp of Sydney bourse's clearing incentive scheme
Deeper markets in WAEMU could boost policy transmission
Research published by the IMF finds the transmission of monetary policy is impeded by ‘shallow’ financial markets in the West African Economic and Monetary Union
Gieve: BoE rate hike likely to hinge on election outcome
Former deputy governor John Gieve says victor in May 7 poll will impact BoE’s tightening decision; panellists warn of high uncertainty as no party likely to win outright majority
NBER paper challenges Rey’s monetary policy dilemma
Authors find evidence to support the continued existence of a traditional monetary policy trilemma, casting doubt on Hélène Rey’s theory that the trilemma has broken down