Central Banking
Bernanke fears serious economic consequences from burgeoning deficit
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke warned that if the US budget was not brought under control soon, policymakers may not be able to respond to future economic shocks
IMF’s Shinohara urges emerging markets to rethink fiscal approach
Fund deputy managing director Naoyuki Shinohara says advanced economies must walk narrow path to address fiscal imbalances; emerging and developing nations should reconsider pace of adjustment
Fischer calls Israeli economy a ‘miracle’
Bank of Israel governor says peace deal is needed to achieve the growth and prosperity the country deserves; refuses to set timeline for returning interest rates to 'normal level'
Malaysian and Thai central banks agree deeper cooperation
Bank Negara Malaysia and the Bank of Thailand sign agreement to facilitate a cross-border collateral arrangement for eligible financial institutions in the countries
Hong Kong to launch new microfinance pilot scheme
Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation says it plans to issue up to HK$100 million worth of loans as part of three-year long trial
BoE's Posen continues crusade for SME credit
Posen laments decline of political interest in plans for credit easing for SMEs in the UK; reaffirms his drive to improve the provision of finance for smaller non-financial corporations
RBI's Subbarao highlights new ‘trilemma' facing central banks
Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao says policy contribution of central banks to sustainable sovereign debt policies must be clarified to maintain independence
ECB paper finds evidence in support of exchange rate scapegoat theory
European Central Bank study shows expectations of frequent changes to structural parameters explains instability in the relationship between exchange rates and fundamentals
BoJ’s Yamaguchi warns of ‘vicious cycle’ from de-leveraging of European banks
Bank of Japan deputy governor Hirohide Yamaguchi says Japan should exercise vigilance over potential knock-on effects from introduction of higher capital ratios in Europe
Bargaining power in Swiss repo market more pronounced during crisis, says SNB paper
Swiss National Bank study shows the central bank was able to negotiate a significantly higher price with banks for repurchase agreements during the financial turmoil
Plosser bemoans 'confusion' over Fed communications
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Charles Plosser says decision to set time frame for when rates will remain exceptionally low had created confusion over Fed's policy statement
Australian central bank appoints new assistant governor
Reserve Bank of Australia promotes Christopher Kent to the position of assistant governor (economic); takes over from Philip Lowe when he becomes deputy governor
Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines talks Basel III
Amando Tetangco explains how Basel III has a “perverse” impact on countries with strong fiscal discipline and why the Sifi designation is less important than rigorous regulation
FOIA request reveals financial holdings of Fed presidents
Regional Federal Reserve banks disclose financial records of presidents; documents show New York Fed’s William Dudley required temporary waiver for holdings in AIG and General Electric
Colombia's Uribe explains why he is still raising rates
Central Bank of Colombia governor, José Darío Uribe, says rapid credit growth and inflation risks outweighed concerns about global economy; adds monetary tightening has worked elsewhere
Ireland overhauls market abuse oversight rules
Markets supervision directorate at the Central Bank of Ireland will now monitor and investigate market abuses instead of Irish Stock Exchange; ends arrangement in place since 2005
Sri Lanka remembers suicide bomb victims
New memorial unveiled at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to mark 16th anniversary of bomb attack on the institution; governor says terrorists failed in aim to paralyse economic growth
Estonia close to deciding on next governor appointment
Supervisory board nominates Ardo Hansson to take over from Andres Lipstok; Estonian president must now clear appointment
Treasury bills are superior liquidity instruments, says IMF paper
Fund study says Treasury bills are more secure than central bank bills in performing debt and liquidity management functions
Germany highly exposed to US and European contagion effects, says Buba paper
Bundesbank study finds strong contagious effects from the US and Europe, but no effects from the Asia-Pacific region and emerging markets on the German financial system
MAS's Menon calls on Asian countries to boost IMF resources
Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director Ravi Menon says Asian countries will need to contribute further to International Monetary Fund to enhance global safety net
BoJ paper incorporates financial sector into macro-model
Bank of Japan study builds a financial sector model in which bank credits are influenced by credit costs, the capital adequacy ratio and other considerations
Bahrain completes transition to Iban
Commercial banks in Bahrain will now use international bank account numbers as preferred method for international and domestic payments
Venezuela completes repatriation of gold reserves
Final shipment of 14 tonnes of gold arrives in Caracas; governor certain the central bank has the capabilities to protect the precious metal