Regulation
Israeli cabinet OKs diluting cen bank chief power
ISRAEL - Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved sweeping changes to the way interest rates are set but analysts said the plans, which include setting up a monetary council, would weaken the central bank and harm the economy.
Irish c bank "seriously concerned" by AIB report
IRELAND - The Central Bank of Ireland said Thursday it is "seriously concerned" by what has emerged from the so-called Ludwig report into fraudulent trading activities at Allied Irish Banks PLC (U.ALB).
IMF warns of new bank regulator
INDONESIA - Creating a new financial regulator is by no means a simple task. And a new entity in the making shows the potential for dragging the banking sector through a detour in its road to recovery, according to one study by the International Monetary…
UK government extends Davies' term at FSA
UK - The UK government on Wednesday said it had extended the term of Sir Howard Davies as head of its chief financial regulator until January 2004, ending speculation that he may stand down to move to the Bank of England.
Singapore, Hong Kong sign agreement on regulation
SINGAPORE - The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Friday with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Hong Kong (OCI) for cooperation in regulation of the insurance industry.
Sabirin verdict - Bank Indonesia suspect foul play
FEATURE - Sjahril Sabirin, the governor of Bank Indonesia, has been accused of corrupt practices; Bank Indonesia is suggesting that the courts are guilty of the same crime. The bank alleges that underhand methods are being used to ensure its governor's…
Rating agencies criticize c bank reform
ISRAEL - Three leading international credit rating agencies have criticized the Finance Ministry's plans for reining in the independence of the Bank of Israel, but stopped short of saying it would affect the country's credit rating, The Jerusalem Post…
Duma to consider bill on central bank of Russia
RUSSIA - The Russian Duma will consider on 15 March the bill 'About the Central Bank of Russia (Bank of Russia)' in the second hearing.
EU summit won't discuss ECB job - German source
GERMANY - A German government source said on Thursday he did not expect this week's European Union summit to discuss who should succeed European Central Bank Vice President Christian Noyer, although surprises were possible.
Hong Kong tightens markets regulations
HONG KONG - Hong Kong legislators yesterday passed into law long-awaited legislation aimed at significantly tightening regulation of the territory's capital markets.
Indonesia c bank gov still in post despite verdict
INDONESIA - Indonesian central bank governor Sjahril Sabirin is still in charge of the institution despite being convicted on Wednesday of graft, as an appeal process has yet to take place, a senior official said. Sabirin was not taken into custody.
Arthur Grimes appointed to NZ c bank board
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand's Finance Minister Michael Cullen said Wednesday that Arthur Grimes, one of the country's leading monetary policy specialists, had been appointed as a non-executive director of the Reserve Bank for a term of five years.
James Tobin, Keynesian economist of first rank
OBITUARY - James Tobin, the most influential Keynesian theorist of his generation, who became famous for his proposed tax on currency trading, has died aged 84.
Duma to consider bill on central bank of Russia
RUSSIA - The bill "About the Central Bank of Russian Federation (Bank of Russia)" will be considered by the State Duma in the second hearing on 15 March.
India's c bank set to open rep office in Dubai
UAE - State-owned State Bank of India (SBI) is planning to open a representative office in the UAE this year to tap the NRI resources, SBI chairman Janki Ballabh said.
Argentina's Duhalde - Working to lift bk limits
ARGENTINA - Argentina is working to lift banking restrictions in the next three months, President Eduardo Duhalde said in a press conference Monday.
Israel unveils plan to limit central bank powers
ISRAEL - Israel's Finance Ministry unveiled legislation Sunday to rein in the power of the central bank, with a monetary council appointed by the finance minister and a widening of the bank's goals to include growth and employment targets.
Regulating the City 'costs £1bn'
UK - The cost of regulating the City is at least £1bn and the benefits are completely unclear some months after the Financial Services Authority acquired its full powers, according to research.
BIS hits back over banking standards
GERMANY - Andrew Crockett, head of the Bank for International Settlements, has answered criticism of his plans for new global banking standards from Gerhard Schroder, German chancellor, by warning politicians not to interfere.
Papademos "very good" candidate for ECB vice head
GREECE - German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said Thursday that Greek Central Bank Governor Lucas Papademos was a "very good" candidate to succeed Christian Noyer as vice president of the European Central Bank, reports Dow Jones.
A cough and a headache halted Sabirin verdict
INDONESIA - A headache and a cough led a judge to postpone on Wednesday the verdict in the case of Central Bank governor Sjahril Sabirin, who is charged with corruption reports the Jakarta Post.
Pakistan law to check money laundering soon
PAKISTAN - The government has started working on an anti-money laundering law to check the inflow of suspicious transactions in the country's banking system.
ECB buys Frankfurt market site to build new office
GERMANY - With European Union enlargement in mind, the European Central Bank has agreed to spend about 60 million euros to buy the land housing Frankfurt's wholesale vegetable and fruit market to build a new headquarter.
Barbados deal under fire from tax havens
BARBADOS - Caribbean tax havens have attacked the decision of Barbados to reach a settlement over demands by industrialised countries for reform.