Central Banking
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…
Anchoring inflation key - Finland's Liikanen
The anchoring of inflation expectations in line with price stability is of prime importance, said Erkki Liikanen, the governor of the Bank of Finland. Rising commodity prices should not be allowed to generate second round effects on euro area inflation.
Commodity price shocks in a small open economy
Commodity price shocks significantly contribute to the exchange rate fluctuations and business cycles in a small open economy, recent research by the Bank of Canada shows.
Turkish disinflation delayed by global conditions
Rising global uncertainty and rampant food and energy price growth may lead to some delay in reaching the inflation target, the March Monetary Policy Committee Meeting minutes of the Central Bank of Turkey state.
FSF to suggest radical solutions to turmoil
The Financial Stability Forum (FSF) is set to propose a series of unorthodox measures for fighting the credit crunch, say media reports.
Sri Lanka rebuts IMF report
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has countered claims, made in an International Monetary Fund report, that poor decision-making has contributed to high inflation in the country.
Bank of Japan survey shows confidence on the wane
The Bank of Japan is likely to adopt a more dovish monetary policy stance and revise growth estimates downwards on the back of a poorer-than-expected Tankan survey.
Australia leaves rates at 12-year high
The Reserve Bank of Australia left rates at 7.25% - their highest level since April 2006.
Hungary raises rates by half a point
The National Bank of Hungary hiked rates by 50 basis points on Monday 31 March from 7.5% to 8%.
RBA's Stevens on the future of liquidity provision
It is likely that arrangements for providing liquidity will continue to be discussed, said Glenn Stevens, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Kenya's IFRS and Basel 2 challenges
A practical challenge Kenyan banks challenge in complying with International Financial Reporting Standards and Basel 2 is the use of complex financial models to measure risks in their portfolio, explained Njuguna Ndung'u, the governor of the Central Bank…
New Zealand set for slowdown - Bollard
New Zealand will see a moderate slowdown in economic activity reflecting weaker household spending, business investment, the negative effects of dry weather conditions and the impact of the exchange rate on exporters, stated Alan Bollard, the governor of…
Kansas City's subprime loan record
Subprime borrowers in the 10th district are having difficulties with payment delinquencies running above the national average, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve of Kansas City.
Major reforms in view for IMF
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed a resolution that would achieve a major change in the representation of many emerging countries as well as allowing poorer countries a bigger say in the way the Fund is run.
Treasury shake-up to grant Fed more power
The US Treasury has unveiled a series of recommendations for a major restructuring of financial services regulation, which will allot broad new powers to the Federal Reserve to attack systems risk, including the ability to send SWAT teams into any…
"Unscrupulous dealers" attacking Iceland's economy
David Oddsson, the chairman of the board of directors at the Central Bank of Iceland, suspects that "unscrupulous dealers" are trying to bring down the Icelandic financial system by circulating rumours about the country's bank and central government.
ECB in a quandary as inflation rises sharply
The European Union's statistics office said on Monday 31 March that consumer price inflation accelerated to 3.5% this month from 3.2% in February, the biggest rise since June 1992, further exacerbating the European Central Bank's (ECB) monetary policy…
China stands firm on monetary policy
The People's Bank of China said on Monday 31 March, after its first quarter monetary policy committee meeting, that it would maintain its firm attitude to monetary policy, using instruments "in a measured manner".