Opinion
How the RMB revaluation will play out in 2006
According to this article, China's RMB will continue the gradual pace of its appreciation in the next 12 months despite the recent flurry of policy manoeuvring to increase forex flexibility.
Scandals spotlight Italy's regulatory cracks
According to this article published on Wednesday 21 December, Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio's resignation has highlighted the deep problems in Italy's regulatory structure - a system of feeble financial controls which Fazio spent his last months…
Size matters and China just got much bigger
According to this article published on Wednesday 21 December, China, an economy few central bankers, economists and pundits thought about three years ago just leapfrogged over the UK, France and Italy to become the world's fourth largest.
BOJ's monetary policy
This article published on Tuesday 20 December addresses the question of when the Bank of Japan should end its exceptionally easy credit policy which, it says, is stirring a bitter debate among policy-makers.
Comment: The benefits of Basel II's colleges
How efforts to implement the new Basel accord are yielding unexpected benefits, with supervisors finding that through their meetings in "colleges", they are learning more about each other's business, how they approach their work and what they need from…
Fed breaks pattern, signals replace promises
According to this recent article, the Federal Reserve's latest FOMC statement marks the end to an extraordinary 18-month period during which they telegraphed exactly what they were going to do at their next policy-making meeting.
USAID works to strengthen Central Bank of Iraq
This article published on Monday 19 December reports on technical assistance being provided to assist capacity building and institutional strengthening at the Central Bank of Iraq. Historically the CBI has found it difficult to implement monetary policy,…
Comment: Filling Fazio's shoes
Giulio Tremonti, Italy's finance minister, said in an interview on Wednesday that the person who replaces Antonio Fazio as the governor of the Bank of Italy will "capable, honest and respectable". Here is a brief look at the main candidates that are…
A question, Mr. Trichet. Why is dad out of work?
This article published on Monday 19 December looks at the education kit for schools "Price stability: Why is it important for you?" which was recently unveiled by the European Central Bank. It is simply not good enough to repeat the mantra of price…
Why I decided to vote against the governor: Bean
In this article published on Sunday 18 December, Bank of England Chief Economist and MPC member Charlie Bean said that he has no regrets about voting against the governor to cut interest rates and says that we may not have to wait until spring for the…
Comment: Latin America spurns the Fund
Last week Brazil and Argentina surprised the international community by announcing that they both intend paying off all of their outstanding debt to the IMF before the end of the year.
Fed wraps holiday statement in shade of neutral
According to this recent article, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan has offered the markets some holiday cheer, hinting at the recent FOMC meeting that the federal funds rate had entered a neutral zone.
Comment: Fazio steps down
Antonio Fazio's resignation as Bank of Italy governor is welcome, but long-overdue. The way is now open for the implementation of much-needed reforms, as the Bank seeks to regain its lost credibility.
Between the Fed's fewer lines
According to this article published on Wednesday 14 December, the Federal Open Market Committee's overhaul of its post-meeting statement appears to have the dual purpose of putting financial markets on notice that the Fed has entered a more neutral…
Comment: Contagion threat still present
An increasing number of emerging market economies (EMEs) are finding that they are able to borrow money in international capital markets, and on historically favourable terms.
Comment: Brazil's surprise IMF settlement
Earlier this week Brazil announced that it plans to pay off its entire $15.5 billion in debt to the IMF by the end of the month. In doing so, the country will meet its outstanding IMF obligations two years ahead of schedule.
Gold is more than a hedge
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, the latest idea to grip the markets is that gold is poised to become the world's fourth major currency.
Comment: Fed signals end to rate cycle
The Fed this week increased interest rates by 25 basis points for the 13th consecutive time. While the move itself was a foregone conclusion, the removal of the word "accommodative" from the accompanying monetary policy statement, indicates that the…
Word junkies get ready for a fix from the Fed
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, while there is little doubt the Fed will raise the funds rate by another 25 basis points to 4.25 percent on Tuesday, the main issue is the language of the statement.
Comment: Islamic banking - progress and hurdles
Recent IMF research puts the number of Islamic financial institutions worldwide above 300, having risen from only one in 1975. The total assets of these institutions, growing at 15% a year, have reached an estimated $250 billion.
The ECB's path that was not taken
The ECB risks painting itself into a corner following its recent interest-rate hike, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The move implies more increases will follow, it says, and that will cost the Eurozone economies heavily.
Indonesia's bumpy road to credibility
With inflation set to stay in double digits for much of 2006, Indonesia's central bank continues to face a precarious balancing act, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The puzzle is how to balance monetary tightening to cool…
Comment: Gold soars
Gold prices soared to new highs on Monday 12 December, bringing this month's gain for the precious metal to 9%. Only a month ago gold traded at $470. What does the future hold for bullion and what role will central bankers play in this?
Comment: Risks facing buoyant South Africa
As is the case in many emerging market economies, South Africa is yet to escape the perception that its economic fortunes are to a large extent dependent on the performance of its currency.