Central Banking
Simply the best for policy, says Fed's Plosser
Simple rate-setting rules based on publicly observable information are the best to use, said Charles Plosser, the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
Rating agencies at core of lawmakers' grievances
An influential group of British members of parliament has slammed the big ratings agencies for their role in the subprime crisis.
Former Hungarian governor joins race for EBRD job
Budapest has nominated Gyorgy Suranyi, a former governor of the National Bank of Hungary, to succeed Jean Lemierre as president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Tokyo to set up wealth fund, says report
The Japanese authorities may be hatching plans to start a sovereign wealth fund.
Fed auctions to run into March
The Federal Reserve is set to continue its Term Auction Facility operations into March, pledging another $60 billion to alleviate money market tensions.
Japan premier calls for unity on governor vote
Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, has urged members of the country's two main political parties to cooperate on appointing a successor to Toshihiko Fukui, the outgoing governor of the Bank of Japan.
Bernanke spooks markets with bank failure warning
The dollar hit a record low against the euro after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that small banks could fail in the coming months.
Japan's Mizuno dismisses rate cut calls
Atsushi Mizuno, a member of the Bank of Japan's rate-setting council, has said a rate cut would be unjustified even on signs that the world's second-largest economy is slowing.
Thailand lifts barriers on foreign capital
The Bank of Thailand is set to remove reserve requirements on short-term capital inflows.
Czech deputy counters interference claims
Miroslav Singer, a vice-governor at the Czech National Bank (CNB), has rebuffed claims that the Vaclav Klaus, the country's president, is compromising the institution's independence.
Sovereign wealth fund round-up
The creation of a much-mooted code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds edged closer this week after the European Commission submitted its ideas to the region's finance ministers for review in mid-March.
BIS's Knight wants procyclicality issue addressed
A strengthening of the so-called "macroprudential approach" to financial regulation is needed to address problems of excessive procyclicality, said Malcolm Knight, the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements.
Czech's Tomsik on short-term outlook
The Czech National Bank has forecast GDP growth to slow during this year but to pick up in the first quarter of 2009.
EU building and consumer sectors most sensitive
The eurozone's construction and consumer sectors are typically the most sensitive to shocks in GDP and inflation variables, states a new European Central Bank paper.
Iceland a step ahead on liquidity
Iceland's approach to liquidity management is much more developed than in other countries, said Ingimundur Fridriksson, a governor at the central bank.
EU should be "driving force" in SWF regulation
The EU should be at the forefront of the effort to supervise sovereign wealth fund investments, the European Commission has said.
UAE governor rejects Greenspan advice
The United Arab Emirates will keep the dirham pegged to the dollar despite calls from former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan to float its currency.
Political scrap over governor may embarrass Japan
A spat between Japan's two main political parties is threatening to undermine the central bank's credibility by leaving it without an official governor when Toshihiko Fukui's term expires in the middle of next month.
Fed exacerbating stagflation risk: Meltzer
The Federal Reserve's current policies mark a return to the dark days of the 1970s and carry the same threats, says Allan Meltzer, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
SWFs to cover bank shortfall for private equity?
Not content with buying up sizable stakes in the big investment banks, sovereign wealth funds could now take their business as well.
Norway posts $3.4 billion loss
The Bank of Norway was NKr17.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in the red last year, accounts published on Thursday 28 February reveal.
Stability requires public-private coordination
The close cooperation of policymakers and market participants is essential for achieving sustainable growth and preserving stability, said Lucas Papademos, the vice president of the European Central Bank.
Policy shifts improved inflation outlook
The decline in the level, persistence and volatility of inflation across industrialised countries since the mid-1980s is due in part to improvements in monetary policy, finds a Bank of England working paper.
A case for stronger regulation on liquidity
Securitisation's enhancement of and reliance on liquidity, as revealed by the recent bout of turmoil, indicates the need for new rules on liquidity, the Banque de France's latest stability review finds.