Asia-Pacific
Philippines unexpectedly pauses easing cycle
BSP would have continued cutting if not for “uncertainty over trade policy”, governor says
Cyber, suptech and CBDCs are top areas for fintech research
Central banks with fintech strategy more likely to prioritise CBDCs
BoJ governor: food inflation in Japan may not be temporary
Ueda’s comments mark slight change from previous statements that supply factors would dissipate
Cyber security and legacy systems still greatest technology challenges
But concerns differ by central banks’ CBDC mandate
Central banks lacking fintech unit less likely to have a strategy
Respondents’ strategic priorities include digitalisation, regulations, collaborations and others
PBoC appoints Zou Lan as deputy governor
Former monetary policy department head will become youngest member of China’s central bank board
Four in five central banks lack chief fintech officers
Centralised fintech teams more likely to have chief fintech officers
Thailand resumes selection process for central bank chair
Position on BoT board set to be filled after months-long delay caused by political dispute
Bank of Japan official reaffirms rate hike path
BoJ’s journey to policy normalisation continues as wage growth stays strong
Trump’s tariff threats fuel corporate FX hedging revamp
Treasurers mull options and longer-dated hedges in face of mixed signals on extent and timing of measures
Singapore eases monetary policy for first time since 2020
Central bank slows exchange rate appreciation as core inflation falls and trade concerns loom
Bank Indonesia’s YouTube channel hacked
Hackers streamed bitcoin-related content before page was restored
China tells insurers and mutual funds to buy more stocks
Regulators, including PBoC, provide new instructions to boost domestic equities market
Privacy and security seen as greatest AI risks
Larger risk teams more likely to provide training to staff on risk types
Most central banks reviewed risk management in past year
Other aspects evaluated varied by risk team structure and departmental staff strength
Cyber and geopolitical risks are managers’ top risks
Geopolitical risks seen rising fastest, but cyber is the biggest concern currently
HKMA’s renminbi repo plans boost hopes for onshore access
Market participants optimistic that new provisions for offshore repos of onshore bonds are first step towards mainland access
Central banks keep ISO 31000 and COSO-ERM as main approaches
Principles tend to vary slightly by central banks’ risk management philosophies
One-fifth of central banks lack defined risk tolerance and strategy
But majority of respondents apply risk management principles to policies and processes
Adoption of governance, risk and compliance systems still partial
Respondents mention main service providers and plans to upgrade
Decentralised risk teams less likely to have chief risk officers
CROs are also less common at Asia-Pacific and European central banks
PBoC provides further financial support for tech firms
Central bank follows up on previous policy and allocates $13.6 billion through lending facility
Credit and counterparty risk gains relevance as most covered risk
But central banks’ top risks vary by geographical regions
Centralised risk teams tend to have more sub-units
Size of central banks with climate change risk unit steadies at 12%