Regulation
Fed's Olson: Banking industry is sound
US - Federal Reserve governor Mark Olson on Tuesday said the U.S. banking system is sound, but cautioned that weaknesses could come to light now that the economy has pulled out of recession, the first in a decade.
Swiss fight for banking secrecy
SWITZERLAND - Swiss officials are digging in to defend secrecy laws synonymous with the country's huge banking industry before talks with the European Union expected in June.
World wide search for New Zealand's c bank chief
NEW ZEALAND - The Reserve Bank has appointed headhunter Signium International to scour the world for a new Governor.
Lithuania thwarts mafia attempt to launder money
LITHUANIA - The Bank of Lithuania, the country's central bank, has prevented a large-scale money laundering attempt by declining an application from a French national to make a huge investment in the country's fourth-largest bank, Snoras, Lithuanian…
IMF calls for regulating 'hawala' transfers
UAE - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday called on the informal system of overseas money transfers known as "hawala" to be regulated in the interests of the world economy.
Polish central bank head ready for gov't dialogue
POLAND - Polish National Bank (NBP) President Leszek Balcerowicz declared on Thursday he was ready for dialogue with the finance minister but believed that structural reforms and securing higher competitiveness were more important than discussions on the…
Argentina central bank chief 'may resign' rumour
ARGENTINA - Rumours that Central Bank Chairman Mario Blejer is considering stepping down were circulating among banks yesterday, newspaper Clarin reported.
Basel II: An Economic Assessment
WORKSHOP - Basel II: An Economic Assessment (Basel, 17-18 May 2002), a workshop jointly organised by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Centre for Economic Policy Research, and the Journal of Financial Intermediation.
Bank law compromise seen in Russia
RUSSIA - The State Duma and the government have narrowed differences over a bill to curtail the powers of the Central Bank, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin said Monday.
Euro Parliament approves Papademos' appointment
FRANCE - The European Parliament has approved the nomination of Lucas Papademos, the governor of the Central Bank of Greece, as vice-president at the Central European Bank.
Hugh Fletcher appointed to NZ Reserve Bank board
NEW ZEALAND - Hugh Fletcher, the former head of Fletcher Challenge, has been appointed as a non-executive director of the Reserve Bank and Rod Carr has been confirmed as acting governor for up to six months, the New Zealand government announced today.
Chicago fed forum evolves into Basel 2 battle
FEATURE - The big question posed at this year's premier bank policy event was how to break regulators' tendency to exacerbate business cycles by backing off in boom times and cracking down when the economy slows.
Iraq, Sudan c banks sign cooperation agreement
IRAQ - Iraq and Sudan today signed a banking cooperation agreement. Central Bank Governor Dr Isam Rashid Huwaysh signed the agreement for Iraq, while Bank of Sudan Governor Dr Sabir Muhammad Hasan signed it for Sudan.
Speech by Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, 10 May
SPEECH - In a speech titled 'Cyclicality and Banking Regulation' to the Chicago banking conference Greenspan said it was natural for bankers to grow more cautious in their lending practices during bad times.
UAE free of organised suspect cash activities
UAE - The UAE had detected minor money laundering operations but it is free of organised suspect cash activities as a result of direct surveillance by monetary authorities and cooperation by financial institutions, a judicial official said yesterday.
Central bankers testify in Russian loans trial
RUSSIA - Tatyana Paramonova, first deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia, and former Central Bank Chairman Viktor Gerashchenko had to appear in an unaccustomed role as witnesses at Moscow's Zamoskvoretskiy Court in a criminal case concerning…
Biography of newly-appointed Turkmen c bank chief
TURKMENISTAN - Ymamdurdy Muhammedowic Gandymow [Imamdurdy Muhammedovich, appointed head of the governing board of the Central Bank of Turkmenistan on 6 May 2002].
ECOFIN to study banking supervision plans in July
BELGIUM - EU finance ministers will take a further look at banking supervision plans at their meeting in July, Spanish finance minister Rodrigo Rato and EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Pedro Solbes have said.
Audit firms to fight money laundering in the UAE
UAE - The UAE Ministry of Economy and Commerce intends to bring auditing companies operating in the country into an alliance with the Central Bank and other competent national organisations involved in a crackdown on money laundering and other financial…
Turkmen leader sacks Central Bank chairman
TURKMENISTAN - Turkmen President Saparmyrat Nyyazow has dismissed the chairman of Turkmenistan's Central Bank, Seyitbay Gandymow, for allegedly embezzling state funds, appointing his relatives to lucrative posts and buying up land. Gandymow was also…
Reserve Bank of New Zealand News Release
NEWS RELEASE - RBNZ Board begins process for finding new Governor, 29 April.
New government to re-examine off-shore banking law
BAHAMAS - The Bahamian government will re-examine new laws tightening regulation of secretive offshore banks to reduce costs and red tape, The Jamaican Observer quoted Bahamas' deputy finance minister as saying.
Who is the next head of the central bank of Iran?
IRAN - Over the past year and at the outset of the appointment of the new cabinet, private and official talks focused on a change of leadership at the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). Different proposals have been suggested and private speculation has been…
Duisenberg - ECB wants supervision structure role
GERMANY - European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg said the ECB wants to play a key role in any move to increase cooperation between central banks and other financial sector supervisory authorities in the euro zone. He also spoke on Le Pen's threat…