Regulation
HKMA says maintains open mind on deposit insurance
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said on Monday it still has an open mind on whether Hong Kong needs a deposit insurance scheme, and will not rule out extending a consultation period on the issue.
Russia govt proposes to amend banking legislation
The Russian federal government and the central bank have submitted amendments to banking laws to the Duma. The government proposed these same bills back in 1999, on the insistence of international financial organisations.
Turkish central bank eases liquidity squeeze
Turkey's central bank and treasury held two purchases of government bonds on Monday as part of a package of measures to ease a liquidity squeeze that shook markets last week.
Nepal's central bank reforms financial institution
Nepal's central bank has worked out a reform program to speed up the reformation of the 121 financial institutions in Nepal that are mired in managerial problems, according to the bank's statement issued on Friday.
Heavy interest in seized Turkish banks
Turkey's banking watchdog on Friday said there is significant foreign and domestic interest in purchasing some of 10 banks with bad debts of $7bn that it has taken into receivership.
Vietnam central bank agrees on bank merging plan
Vietnam's central bank has agreed in principle to the merger of two commercial banks but a final decision will be announced after merging procedures are completed, a bank official said on Friday.
India's RBI advocates cautious pension reform
The Indian government needs to move cautiously before letting the private sector manage pension funds, a top central bank official said on Friday.
IBRA speeds up sale of Salim corporate assets
The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) is speeding up the sale of corporate assets once owned by the Salim Group even as the two sides prepare to face off in a test of wills that could have severe ramifications for the country's economic…
Thai bank chief calls for focus on banking bills
Thailand's central bank governor Chatu Mongkol Sonakul on Friday urged the next government to treat as a priority the passing into law of pending banking legislation.
BoT governor calls for more transparency in banks
Thai central bank governor Chatu Mongol Sonakul Thursday urged for more transparency and stricter supervision in the banking sector to help control the amount of non-performing loans in the system.
SAMA introduces sliding brokerage fees
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency has introduced a new sliding scale of brokerage fees taking effect from 1 January 2001.
IMF mission leaves Russia with no agreement
Russia is likely to get a frosty reception from the Paris Club of sovereign creditors after an International Monetary Fund mission left Moscow this week without reaching agreement.
Norges Bank supports MeritaNordbanken's buy
The Norwegian central bank, Norges Bank, said Thursday it recommends to the Norwegian banking and insurance authority that Nordic Baltic Holding and its unit MeritaNordbanken (S.MNB) be allowed to acquire Christiania Bank og Kreditkassen (Y.CBK).
Manila c.bank sets body to check money laundering
The Philippines central bank said on Thursday it would set up a six-member committee to evaluate reports on suspicious bank transactions as part of its efforts to fight money laundering.
Indonesia regulators seek banking consolidation
Indonesia might close or merge more than 100 banks within three years in its battle to create a strong financial system, the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency said.
Fraga welcomes BSCH bid for Banespa bank
Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano was the surprise high bidder for Banespa yesterday, claiming Brazil's state bank for an unexpectedly high US$3.6bn. Arminio Fraga, Brazil's central bank president, welcomed the bid.
Second Nicaraguan bank collapses
Nicaragua is facing a crisis in its fragile financial system after the regulator moved to take over the second bank to fail in the past 100 days, and attacked the government for refusing to guarantee its customers' deposits.
Iran's Bank Melli to open branch in Moscow
Iran's Bank Melli will soon open a branch in Moscow with a capital of over $10m, Central Bank of Iran governor Mohsen Nurbakhsh said in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Viktor Gerashchenko.
Sri Lanka working towards 10 pct capital adequacy
Sri Lanka's central bank governor said on Friday he would work towards raising tier two capital adequacy ratios for commercial banks to 10 percent next year from eight percent now.
Thai cenbank's supervision to focus on risk mgmt
Bank of Thailand's supervision department will shift its focus to supervising the risk management of financial institutions early next year, said an official Friday.
Estonian bank sector Oct capital adequacy 13.7 pct
The Estonian central bank said on Friday the average capital adequacy ratio in the banking sector at the end of October stood at 13.7 percent, down from 14.1 percent at the end of August.
Pakistan might adopt Islamic banking gradually
Pakistan may try to convert gradually to a full Islamic banking system rather than make a sudden transformation by the middle of next year - the Supreme Court's deadline to end all interest driven transactions, which are considered contrary to Islam -…
Cenbank says Taiwan will not face financial crisis
Taiwan's central bank governor Perng Fai-nan dismissed Tuesday the speculation that Taiwan will suffer a financial crisis early next year.
IMF lobbies private sector over finance standards
An IMF/World Bank team visited London today on one leg of a travellingroadshow designed to sell global financial standards to the private sector.