Opinion
Interview with Mervyn King
In an interview with Scotland's The Herald newspaper published 15 June, Mervyn King said that the Monetary Policy Committee was not in the business of trying to shock consumers or the market and would only do so when the situation had materially changed…
Independence law for Central Bank of Taiwan
When passed into law, the amended Central Bank Act in Taiwan will define the central bank as "the national bank which exercises its duties independently as prescribed by the law," this article says. Important amendments to the Act include requiring the…
Interview with Professor Rifaat of the IFSB
Increasingly, central banks are working together to ensure consistent regulation of Islamic banks. The latest issues of The Financial Regulator journal includes an interview with Professor Rifaat, Secretary-General of the Islamic Financial Services Board…
Greenspan, his limo rides, and interest rates
The Republican central banker's visits to the White House have nearly quadrupled since Bush replaced President Clinton, according to this article. His visits lead to two intriguing questions, the article says. How involved is the Fed chairman in setting…
The extraordinary Greenspan
This editorial from The Washington Times says it is quite unlikely that the American and world economies would have experienced such good fortunes as they have over the past 20 years were Mr. Greenspan not leading the world's most powerful central bank…
Is inflation Japan's next battle?
This article on the IHT's site asks when the Bank of Japan will shift from a quantity theory approach to monetary policy and revert to using interest rate policy. That a change is being considered was hinted at last week by the bank's governor, Toshihiko…
CentralBankNet's central bank governance guide
Following the Bundesbank's decision to appoint an ethics advisor for its board, central banks around the world are reviewing their ethics policies for staff. As an aide to this effort, CentralBankNet's governance guide here includes some links to…
Iraq's central bank plan goes beyond basics
This article says that what's remarkable about the financial architecture for Iraq is the scope and detail the coalition brought to the task of establishing an independent central bank. In March, the CPA published the Central Bank of Iraq Law, which, it…
Interview with Leszek Balcerowicz
In extracts from an interview published in the latest edition of Central Banking journal the president of the National Bank of Poland, Leszek Balcerowicz, explains why he believes in taking the shortest route possible to the euro.
A new face in European monetary policy
This article published on Friday 14 May in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says Axel Weber may instill fresh ideas and a new impulse into the weakened German central bank. As a renowned expert in monetary and financial market issues, Weber looks like…
The RBNZ changes its policy on reserves
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand, a pioneer of inflation targetting, used to say it did not need any foreign reserves. But now it has changed its mind.
Europe's beleaguered central bankers
This article from BusinessWeek says what unsettles investors isn't so much that the ECB held rates steady at its last meeting but that Trichet hinted the ECB was going to do one thing and then it did something else. It also looks at the scandals…
Fund focus on regulatory governance
After five years investigating national financial systems under its FSAP programme, the International Monetary Fund has decided that poor regulatory governance - how regulatory authorities themselves are governed - is undermining financial stability.
Interview - Sir Andrew Large
CentralBankNet presents the highlights of Sir Andrew Large's recent interview with The Financial Regulator journal, in which he describes how the Bank of England works to maintain financial stability in the United Kingdom, and comments on the new Basel…
Interview with ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet
In an interview with a German newspaper, Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, signalled his concern for the eurozone economy. He also said that consumer confidence in the euro zone was weaker than it should be at this stage of an…
BOJ governor Fukui's first year
Toshihiko Fukui completed his first year as governor of the Bank of Japan on Saturday 20 March. This article looks at Fukui's first year as governor of the BOJ and says he has made a difference in dealing with the government and the ruling parties…
Interview: Heraldo Muoz
Since September 11th the tracking of global terrorist funding has been more important than ever. CBNet spoke to Heraldo Muoz, Chilean ambassador to the UN and chairman of the Security Council Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee to ask exactly how UN…
Greenspan 'Maestro of Chutzpah'
In his New York Times column "Maestro of Chutzpah", Paul Krugman says Alan Greenspan "betrayed his institution, and the nation" by using his office to promote a political agenda.
The ECB's new headquarters may bring image change
This article looks at the ECB's new HQ plans and examines other central banks' architecture. The Bank of Japan's main office looks suspiciously like the Bank of England which has a grand, imperial flavour, it says. Then there's the Federal Reserve with a…
Asian reaction to Greenspan
Journalists of Agence France Presse have been surveying reactions in Asia to Greeenspan's warnings about the inflationary implications of heavy intervention.
Japan ponders reserves switch
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki's suggestion that Japan might consider diversifying its massive foreign exchange reserves provoked speculation about possible dollar dumping on a huge scale by Asian governments and also set the gold market…
IMF MD Horst Kohler's remarks on visit to Brazil
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Horst Kohler made the following statement on Monday I march in Sao Paulo at the conclusion of his visit to Brazil.
Has the ECB failed to meet its objectives?
Just over five years after its establishment the ECB has failed to meet its stated objective of maintaining price stability, according to an outspoken report published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)today.