Central Banking
Shirakawa gets DPJ blessing, poised to lead BoJ
Masaaki Shirakawa, the acting governor of the Bank of Japan, looks likely to get the job formally after a senior opposition official indicated he would back his appointment.
Sovereign wealth funds being "unfairly treated"
Jesse Wang, vice president and chief risk officer of China Investment Corporation (CIC), has said that sovereign wealth funds are not receiving fair treatment in international markets.
Sri Lanka's sovereign rating lowered
Sri Lanka's sovereign rating was lowered by Fitch Ratings one notch to B-plus on 3 April, because of rising inflation, a worsening trade balance and a rising fiscal deficit.
India's inflation surge may mean rate rise
India's key inflation rate rose to a three-year high, said the government on 4 April, raising the possibility of a rate rise being imposed by the Reserve Bank of India.
New UK coinage meets lukewarm reception
New coin and banknote designs are almost inevitably greeted with criticism and the first new coin designs for 40 years from the UK's Royal Mint, unveiled on 3 April, were no exception. Historians, designers and MPs have already criticised them.
Payment system risk the priority
The need to mitigate the risk involved in using outmoded payments infrastructure has to be given priority, said Ranee Jayamaha, a deputy governor at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Fostering lending to Indian SMEs - Mohan
India's financial system is still not adequately geared to finance new ideas and new firms, said Rakesh Mohan, a deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Germany set to suffer from US slump
Germany will suffer from the downturn in the US and the weakness of the dollar as exports - contrary to what many politicians and entrepreneurs believe - are unlikely to rise, claims Norbert Walter, the chief economist of Deutsche Bank.
Tucker: BoE to only partly offset the credit blow
The Bank of England should cut rates gradually to avoid inflation, said Paul Tucker, the Bank's executive director responsible for markets and member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
Bernanke voices US growth concerns
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that the country's economy was unlikely to grow much, if at all, this year, and "might even contract slightly".
Lenders expect further credit cutbacks: BoE poll
The Bank of England's quarterly survey of credit conditions, published on 3 April, showed that lenders had reduced the supply of secured credit to households over the three months to mid-March.
Tokyo wants new governor by next week
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party wants a new central bank governor in place by next week in time for the meeting in Washington of G7 finance ministers, Nobutaka Machimura, Japan's cabinet secretary, said on 3 April.
New members of Bank of Korea's MPC
Lee Myung-bak, the president of South Korea, has appointed three professors as new members of the Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Committee.
Iceland's Fridriksson dismisses stability concerns
In an effort to reassure investors, Ingimundur Fridriksson, a board member at the Central Bank of Iceland, has denied that the country's banks and economy are unstable.
We had no choice, Bernanke tells lawmakers
The Federal Reserve had no choice but to intervene and put taxpayers' money at risk earlier this month by backing a fire sale of the assets of Bear Stearns, a leading American investment bank, its chairman said on Wednesday in testimony before US…
Auction shows massive demand for ECB cash
The European Central Bank's (ECB) first-ever auction of six-month loans was more than four times oversubscribed, indicating the high level of tension in the region's money markets.
New governor proposed for Bank Indonesia
Boediono, Indonesia's chief economics minister, has been nominated for the top job at the country's central bank.
Nigeria raises rates 50bp, flags further hikes
Nigeria's central bank raised rates to 10% and warned that policy would need to tighten in the future with "huge fiscal injections" expected.
UAE governor urges fiscal frugality
Sultan Bin Nasser Al-Suwaidi, the governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, warned that inflation could accelerate further if the government failed to curb spending.
Norges's Gjedrem praises SWFs
Debate on sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) should reflect their potential to benefit international financial markets, said Svein Gjedrem, the governor of the Norges Bank.
Fed's new mortgage lenders regulations - Kroszner
New lending regulations proposed by the Federal Reserve will apply to independent mortgage companies and mortgage brokers as well as banks, said Randall Kroszner, a member of the board of governors.
Fed's new subprime and alt-A maps
The Federal Reserve System will publish maps updated monthly to illustrate the state of subprime and alt-A mortgage loans across the United States.
Korea's Seong-Tae Lee on household debt oversight
To maintain the soundness of Korean household debt, policymakers must avoid a housing boom and bust cycle said Seong-Tae Lee, the governor of the country's central bank.
King: change needed in bank regulation
Much thought will need to be given to the structure and nature of banking regulation in the future given the recent challenges presented by the financial turmoil, admitted Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England. "Serious thinking and…