Japan
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, February 2007
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its February 2007 monthly report on Friday 23 February. In the report the BOJ left its assessment of the economy unchanged.
Japan's Ota warns BoJ about tightening
Japanese economic and fiscal policy minister Hiroko Ota on Friday 23 February warned the Bank of Japan against further credit tightening.
IMF's Lipsky upbeat on eurozone outlook
In an interview with Reuters published Thursday 22 February, IMF first deputy managing director, John Lipsky, said the world economy will slow slightly this year from 2006.
BoJ's Fukui expects gradual rate hikes
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told lawmakers Friday 23 February that he is "open" to options of further rate hikes.
Bank of Japan to keep 'accommodative' policy
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Wednesday 21 February it will maintain its "accommodative" monetary policy for some time, after voting to raise interest rates.
Ex BoJ's Fujiwara says rate rise needed
The Bank of Japan should raise interest rates before the current rock-bottom rates trigger an asset bubble in the economy, a former BOJ deputy governor said on Monday 19 February in an interview with Reuters.
Omi says BoJ should support growth
Japanese finance minister Koji Omi told parliament on Tuesday 20 February that the Bank of Japan's monetary policy should support economic growth, as it prepares to start a two- day meeting to decide interest rates.
Bank of Japan faces hard decision on interest rate
According to this article from MarketWatch, published Tuesday 20 February, the Bank of Japan will have a hard decision to make on interest rates at the conclusion of its policy meeting Wednesday.
Officials call on BOJ to consider govt views
Japanese cabinet ministers on Thursday 15 February called on the Bank of Japan to consider the government's view when deciding whether to raise interest rates at a policy meeting next week.
BoJ's Fukui says risks to sustained growth remain
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Wednesday 14 February he remains cautious about the outlook for sustained growth of the Japanese economy because it is still exposed to various risks.
BoC sees room to improve central bank committees
This article from Reuters, published Monday 12 February, looks at the recent paper "Monetary Policy Committees in Action: Is There Room for Improvement?" noting that central banks have shifted away from the "dictatorial" governor as decision maker, in…
Trichet warns markets on carry trades risk
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet warned markets this weekend at the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting that one-way bets in currency markets posed risks.
BOJ in no hurry to raise rates says Haru
The Bank of Japan is in no hurry to raise short-term interest rates in the absence of an immediate inflation risk, BOJ board member Hidehiko Haru said in a speech Thursday 8 February.
BOK chief says reserves may go to overseas stocks
South Korea is considering investing part of its foreign reserves in overseas blue-chip stocks in an attempt to increase investment returns, Yonhap news agency cited the Bank of Korea chief as saying Thursday 8 February.
Fischer trips to raise support for Israel to OECD
Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer is travelling to Germany and Japan this week to increase support for Israel's bid to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as a full member, the central bank said.
Ito says BoJ must explain policy better
A member of the Japanese government's top economic council said on Monday 5 February in an interview with Reuters the Bank of Japan should promote accountability and transparency in its monetary policy as it has not been doing a good job in communicating…
'Slim' chance of return to deflation says Fukui
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told parliament on Friday that the risks of a return to deflation were low for the world's second largest economy.
BoJ to discontinue its Quarterly Bulletin
The Bank of Japan said Friday 26 January it will stop publishing its Quarterly Bulletin from now on due to increased use of the internet. The last issue was the November 2006 edition, the BoJ said in a statement.
The Bank of Japan's big mistake
According to this article by Stephen Roach, published on Friday 26 January by Money Week, the Bank of Japan has dealt a stunning blow to central bank independence.
Ota says BoJ, govt share same view on economy
Japan's economic and fiscal policy minister Hiroko Ota said Thursday 25 January the Bank of Japan and the government share the same view on the state of the world's second-largest economy.
Interview with Bank of Japan's Fukui
In an interview with Reuters, published on Wednesday 24 January, Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said he is not sure how quickly board members can agree on lifting rates.
Rates should rise if confident, says BoJ's Suda
The Bank of Japan needs to avoid spending too much time examining data and policy makers should raise interest rates as long as they're confident in the outlook for the economy, BoJ board member Miyako Suda said in a speech Thursday 25 January.
BoJ policymakers say rate rise is likely
A few Bank of Japan policymakers said the central bank should raise interest rates in January if it were to gain confidence about the economic outlook, according to minutes of the policy board's December meeting, which were released Tuesday 23 January.
IMF chief calls for flexible yuan, warns BoJ
The head of the International Monetary Fund said Monday 22 January that greater flexibility in China's exchange rate will help Asian economies cope with potential risks from sharp capital inflows.