Regulation
Government seeks new amendment on BI law
INDONESIA - The government has resumed talks with legislators on the long suspended amendment of the central bank law, expanding the scope of discussion from Bank Indonesia's accountability to the entire law if need be, a legislator said.
BSP chief started out as a credit investigator
FEATURE - It is hard to imagine how today's business icons once lugged heavy books to sell, worked at the school canteen, sold pens and paper.
Croatian central bank governor considers leaving
CROATIA - The governor of the Croatian National Bank Zeljko Rohatinski is thinking about resigning his post in the near future, a top central bank source said on Friday.
Argentine police probe capital flight
ARGENTINA - Argentine police, probing claims of massive capital flight, have raided local offices of several major international banks.
Bank of England in legal action
UK - The Bank of England faces legal action by a mother who returned from maternity leave and was sacked for rejecting changes to its benefits package that made employees worse off, said Unifi, the banking and finance union.
Central bank chief warns on Russian reforms
RUSSIA - Russia's central bank president has cautioned against accelerating liberal economic reforms, saying it could undermine efforts to repay debt.
Role of Taiwan's financial regulators to change
TAIWAN - Amid all the recent talk of possible consolidation in Taiwan's financial sector, relatively little attention has focused on what could prove the most important merger of all: that of the island's regulators.
Speech by Horst Kohler, Managing Director, IMF
SPEECH - Horst Kohler in a speech 'International Conference on Poverty Reduction Strategies' expressed his confidence that this conference will be an important step forward in strengthening the core of the effort to reduce world poverty-self-help and…
Swiss gov't resists bid to widen cen bank mandate
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss government has resisted efforts by leftists and trade unions, during a revision of the central bank law, to make the Swiss National Bank lay equal stress on growth and employment as well as fighting inflation.
SocGen halt processing of checks from Israel banks
FRANCE - French bank Societe Generale SA (F.SGF) said Wednesday it has stopped accepting checks from its correspondent banks in Israel for a temporary period of two months amid the furore over an alleged money-laundering ring.
Jakarta expected to pass new c bank law changes
INDONESIA - Indonesia's parliament said on Tuesday it expected to pass central bank law changes in February, a move that could help end year-long debate that had once soured ties with the country's main donors.
Better not bank on Afghani
AFGHANISTAN - Abdul Qadeer Fitrat has been appointed acting governor of Da Afghanistan Bank.
Bankers quizzed over money laundering
FRANCE - Daniel Bouton, chairman of Societe Generale, the French bank, has became the latest in a long line of prominent French businesspeople to fall foul of the country's investigating magistrates.
China c bank chief vows reform as banker is sacked
CHINA - Central bank chief Dai Xianglong vowed on Tuesday to push gradual reforms and tighter supervision in China's first year as a WTO member as he confirmed the sacking and probe of a top commercial banker over problem loans.
Pakistan central bank governor announces new plan
PAKISTAN - As of 1 July, 2002, all non-banking financial services in Pakistan, such as investment and corporate advisory service; leasing, housing finance and venture capital companies and discount houses, will be regulated by the Securities and Exchange…
Gov't intends changes to Poland's MPC and c bank
POLAND - Poland's ruling coalition, a tripartite of social democrats, agrarians and labor, followed a Wednesday no-decision from Poland's Monetary Policy Council on rates with plans to force monetary loosening on the Council through legislation.
Vice governor appointed to Slovak central bank
SLOVAKIA - Tatra Banka board member Ivan Sramko was appointed a new central bank (NBS) vice-governor by Slovak President Rudolf Schuster in Bratislava on Friday.
Bahrain host meeting of Islamic money market group
BAHRAIN - Board members of the planned International Islamic Financial Market are to hold their first meeting in Bahrain on Tuesday to discuss steps to set up the market, Bahrain's central bank said on Monday.
Polish ministers ease stance on bank challenge
POLAND - Poland's government appeared to be edging away from a potentially damaging legal challenge to the central bank after a meeting yesterday.
Chinese fund managers under attack
CHINA - A Chinese stock market regulator has criticised several fund managers, accusing them of exploiting regulatory loopholes to enrich themselves and their companies at the expense of the public.
Thailand central bank appointments confirmed
THAILAND - As revealed by us on Tuesday the Thai cabinet yesterday approved the appointment of two new Bank of Thailand deputy governors.
BSP officials fined for 'unprofessionalism'
PHILIPPINES - The Court of Appeals has fined two officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and a bank examiner for their "unprofessional" handling of a case involving the Rural Bank of San Miguel (RBSM).
Israel's regulatory easing
ARTICLE - Some $260 billion (290.39 billion euros) in Israeli financial assets is walled up inside the country by regulations, discriminatory taxes and investor conservatism, kept pacified by high domestic interest rates.
Capital flow and soundness of regulation
LETTER - A letter published in the London Financial Times, 8 January 2002.