Central Banking
RBI attempts to soothe market jitters with more rate reviews
Reserve Bank of India will release four extra monetary policy reviews per year in a bid to keep investors calm; decision brings it in line with bulk of major central banks
Eurozone banks tighten standards as loan demand grows
European Central Bank’s second quarter lending survey shows banks toughening standards for borrowers, reflecting unease from sovereign debt crisis spillover; demand, meanwhile, increases
King parries claims Bank will get too much power
Bank of England governor Mervyn King says creation of the Financial Policy Committee will not make central bank too powerful
King stresses wait-and-see approach to rate-setting
Bank of England governor Mervyn King dismisses suggestions that one or another view dominates rate-setting committee; deputy Charles Bean reiterates question marks over effects of quantitative easing
Policy produces dull but safe banks
In the second of a six-part series on the Japanese economy, Robert Pringle reports from Tokyo on how the crisis has impacted the nation’s global outlook
Central Bank of Turkey – Inflation Report (July 2010)
Central Bank of Turkey’s Inflation Report for July showed lending in credit markets picked up after yields on government debt fell
Expansionary policy commitment redundant: Norges Bank
Norges Bank study says low interest rate rhetoric at central banks ineffective under neo-classical Phillips curve model
Central Bank of Sri Lanka – Annual Report (2009)
Sri Lankan central bank’s Annual Report for last year says country’s escape from high inflation allowed it to focus efforts on growth
CEPR: Central banks stuck in interest rate trap
Centre for Economic Policy Research study says central banks will inevitably end up in a low interest rate trap during a crisis
India jerks in policy reins to choke off ballooning inflation
Reserve Bank of India levies bigger-than-forecast 50 basis point rate hike as data show inflation has spilled over from food to all areas; higher fuel prices, weather patterns key going forward
Quantitative easing doesn’t work: Woodford
National Bureau of Economic Research paper co-authored by Michael Woodford says quantitative easing has little impact, but credit easing does occasionally when targeting specific assets
Cross-border collateral may alleviate dollar funding strains: Emeap
Executives’ Meeting of East Asia Pacific Central Banks says crisis revealed shortcomings in regional money markets; swaps deals, cross-border collateral could alleviate some problems
Argentina lets non-banks into debt sale
Argentine central bank throws open note auction to companies, allowing them to circumvent secondary markets; move linked to rapid expansion of money supply
Natural gas discovery sparks debate in Lebanon over SWF
Potential discovery of natural gas off the shore of northern Israeli coast sparks debate among Lebanese government officials over whether to create a new sovereign wealth fund
Portuguese debt office agrees to post collateral to its dealers
Agency becomes one of first developed-market sovereigns to succumb to dealer pressure as costs of one-way collateral postings grow
Basel III features win governors' seal of approval
Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, which oversees Basel Committee, okays parts of forthcoming Basel III proposals; calibration and phase-in arrangements to be finalised in September
Ireland’s Honohan talks about new capital adequacy requirements
Central Bank of Ireland governor Patrick Honohan sets out plans for tougher capital requirements on Ireland’s banks
Canada’s Carney explains rate hike
Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says decision to hike rates was due to unexpected improvement in private demand
BoE: Asset Purchase Facility Quarterly Report (2010 Q2)
Bank of England’s latest Asset Purchase Facility Quarterly Report shows fear over eurozone debt crisis led to rise in corporate debt purchases
Central Bank of Kuwait – Quarterly Statistics Bulletin (Oct – Dec 2009)
Kuwaiti central bank’s Quarterly Statistics Bulletin shows lending improvements in the fourth quarter of last year, focused predominately on oil and gas sector
Westminster spells out Bank’s importance in new regulatory structure
Bank-led committee will instruct prudential regulator and consumer body on policy; Treasury asks industry players for input on broadening new body’s objectives
EU stress tests detail exposure to Piigs debt
Stress tests show which banks are heavily exposed to riskiest sovereigns
UK lawmakers launch inquiry into regulatory revamp
Influential Treasury Select Committee says it will launch investigation of government plans for new regulatory structure
Key Basel III decisions due as oversight board gathers
Governors and heads of supervision will review recommendations brought forward from July 14-15 Basel Committee meeting