International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Mozambique central bank cracks down on AML breaches
A total of $2.6 million in fines is divided among 15 institutions found in breach of legislation; IMF says AML/CFT controls need to be more efficient
IMF analyses demographic and technological changes affecting productivity
IMF researchers say right policy choices can offset the negative impacts of technological and demographic changes
Return on foreign assets partly offsets trade imbalances – research
Emerging economies can recover from current account disequilibrium faster than reserve currency issuers
Growth in the digital economy has scrambled statistics – IMF paper
Countries may have been understating GDP growth, while overstating inflation, IMF analysis reveals, as digital products skew prices
Money market revamp would help transmit policy in Iran – IMF
Central bank currently struggles to conduct open-market operations; new policy framework would aid transmission and deepen markets, fund says
IMF warns Tunisia over inflation, deficit and currency
Central bank may have to hike rates further, IMF executive board says
Communications on financial stability should be strengthened
The IMF’s Olga Stankova outlines how central banks and other official agencies can better communicate their financial stability work
Lagarde proposes new European fiscal fund
The mechanism would reduce reliance on monetary policy to respond to future crises
IMF unveils new data strategy
Fund’s first ever “overarching strategy” on data envisages new approach to gathering, processing and sharing statistics
Public debt in low-income countries rising to risky levels – IMF
The fund recommends official creditors co-ordinate their response to debt crises
Global leverage may be higher than supervisors realise – IMF paper
Standard measures of leverage are too focused on balance sheets, researchers say
Yakiv Smolii confirmed as Ukrainian governor
Interim governor voted in as permanent head after 10 months
Lagarde says tech should be used for crypto regulation
IMF managing director says it’s time to “fight fire with fire”; DLT and AI could help enforce regulation on crypto assets
UAE deposits $1.4bn with Sudan’s central bank as currency pressure continues
The country has “unsustainable” debt levels and US sanctions hurt debt relief – IMF
Ukraine’s MPC concerned over inflationary pressures – minutes
First published minutes show currency worries as deadlock blocks vote on governor
Algerian monetary financing may stoke inflation, warns IMF
In September 2017, Algiers resorted to central bank financing of budget deficits
Paper warns emerging markets of pitfalls of credit easing
While the effects of credit easing are benign for advanced economies, developing and emerging countries may experience macroeconomic repercussions
IMF advises rollback of Kenyan interest rate caps
Latest review finds caps have undermined the effectiveness of monetary policy and restricted credit access; Kenyan authorities ask for six-month programme extension
IMF recommends Colombia improve policy communication
Fund considers the central bank has further room to lower interest rates
Tunisia raises rates by 75bp to tackle inflation
First hike under new governor comes as prices rose year-on-year by 7.1% in February
IMF paper looks at how inflation anchoring affects growth
Authors examine whether low inflation and anchoring inflation are positive for growth
Central bankers must leave their ‘ivory towers’ – South African governor
Popular support is needed, says Central Banking’s governor of the year
Measuring Venezuela’s hyperinflation
Steve Hanke discusses how economists can make use of high-frequency exchange rate data to track rapid price movements in Venezuela
IMF official backtracks on Kenya funding comments
Mikkelsen says Kenya has continued to have access to IMF resources “subject to policy understandings”