Central Banking
Bernanke says stronger banks will lead to 'robust' economy
Fed chair outlines progress made by financial sector; says improved credit conditions will play a part in creating a robust economy in the US
Bank of Spain plays down bank nationalisation talk
Spanish central bank says customers and depositors of Banco Financiero y de Ahorros have "no cause for concern" as the possible use of public funds to stabilise the firm is discussed
New Zambian banknotes will not feature a portrait
Bank of Zambia confirms rebased notes will not portray the image of any person; businesses urged to update systems ahead of changeover date
MAS assistant managing director discusses importance of market research
Jacqueline Loh highlights benefits of increased financial research for Asian economies; says risks associated with investing in Asia can be mitigated by enhanced information-gathering
IMF research examines links between governance and stress events
IMF working paper discusses correlation between quality of national governance and the likelihood of economic stress events
Fed's Plosser looks beyond government intervention to generate growth
Philadelphia Fed president urges communities seeking economic growth to look beyond government initiatives
Reserve Bank of New Zealand to release latest Basel III proposals
Deputy governor of Reserve Bank of New Zealand says central bank will shortly submit its latest Basel III proposals; continuing fears over global economy highlighted in Financial Stability Report
EFSF withholds funds as pressure increases on Greece
EFSF withholds €1 billion of emergency payout to Greece as voters revolt against austerity measures; ECB’s Nowotny warns time is running out
HM The Queen confirms banking ring fence plan
UK set to see controversial ring fence between retail and investment banking operations introduced after Queen includes the plan in her annual speech before the government
Central Bank of Ireland issues new €20 gold coin
Irish central bank launches commemorative €20 coin; monastic art features on the coin, of which 12,000 will be issued
Central Bank of Brazil blasts report of lost autonomy
Brazilian governor Alexandre Tombini defends central bank in the face of a newspaper article claiming the institution has lost its autonomy
IMF report backs 'appropriate' Swiss currency floor
IMF supports Swiss National Bank currency floor policy; says floor is “appropriate" and discusses relative success to date
New deputy governor notes increasing Swedish economic dependency
Kerstin af Jochnick describes points of importance relating to monetary policy and financial stability; highlights growing dependency of Sweden on events abroad
Honohan discusses lessons from central banks' response to financial shocks
Governor of the Irish central bank outlines lessons for central bankers from the impact of shocks to financial system
BIS paper examines potential substitute monetary policy tools
Bank for International Settlements working paper discusses potential for interest rate and capital adequacy requirement tools to contribute to financial stability
IMF research examines impact of China on commodity markets
International Monetary Fund working paper examines impact of aggregate activity in China on commodity markets; finds Chinese activity impacts majorly on oil markets
Sarb paper examines inflation annoucement influence on currency market
South African Reserve Bank working paper examines link between inflation announcements and short-term currency fluctuations in South Africa
Bahrain modernises cheque truncation system
Central Bank of Bahrain announces same day cheque clearing system will go live on May 13; system is part of initiative to improve efficiency and confidence in cheques
First CSDs sign T2S Framework Agreement
Senior European Central Bank officials commend first nine European central securities depositories to sign Framework Agreement for T2S central settlement project
Malawi devalues kwacha to boost economy
Malawi ends peg to dollar; hopes to speed government’s efforts to restart International Monetary Fund aid programme
Lagarde calls for ‘gradual’ austerity moves
Lagarde calls for gradual and country-specific approach to austerity; says supply-side measures needed to achieve sustainable growth
Estonia issues 50 million new coins
Bank of Estonia announces increased stock of 1- and 2-cent coins; also discusses new role in producing euro banknotes
Canada's Murray dispels 'popular misconceptions' about monetary policy
Bank of Canada deputy governor discusses ‘popular misconceptions’ concerning monetary policy formation
IMF research discusses bank capitalisation as a signal
International Monetary Fund working paper discusses bank capitalisation levels as market signals and the role of supervisory authorities