Central Banking
Russian central bank cuts discount rate
The central bank of Russia cut its discount rate from 10.5% to 10% on 19 June.
IMF mulls currency surveillance tools
Rodrigo de Rato, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund says the Fund will soon announce more details above its new surveillance system for foreign exchange policies, which will make clear to member countries what is "acceptable to the…
Bank of England Quarterly Review
As well as regular features, the second bulletin of 2007 includes an article analysing public attitudes to inflation and interest rates, in particular the pick-up in the general public's inflation expectations between 2005 and 2006.
RBI's Mohan on capital account liberalisation
Speaking at a seminar in Paris, Rakesh Mohan, a deputy governor at India's central bank, discussed India's experiences in making monetary policy during capital account liberalisation.
Monetary policy with imperfect knowledge
This ECB Working Paper examines the performance and robustness properties of monetary policy rules in an estimated macroeconomic model in which the economy undergoes structural change and where private agents and the central bank possess imperfect…
Polish watchdog merger in doubt, says report
Slawomir Skrzypek, the President of the National Bank of Poland, has proposed a delay in the government's plan to merge the banking regulator into the wider-ranging finance industry watchdog, according to newspaper reports.
ECB's Weber acknowledges risks to price stability
Risks to price stability will continue while the average inflation rate in 2007 and 2008 are above the European Central Bank's inflation guidelines, Axel Weber a member of the central bank's governing council said in an interview over the weekend.
Chinese regulator fines lenders
Two of the major commercial banks in China and six other financial institutions will be fined for lending money used by two state companies to buy stocks and real estate, despite official efforts to step up the regulation of state-owned banks and the…
Kenya's central bank cuts key rate to 8.5%
The Central Bank of Kenya cut one of its key interest rates to 8.5 from 10% in an attempt move it further in line with other policy rates.
RBNZ intervenes in currency market again - traders
Foreign currency traders say that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand again intervened in the market on 18 June. This follows a statement by the central bank last week acknowledging that it had done so for the first time since it set up a fund for…
Dodge on demographics
As the first of the baby-boomers begins to retire, Canada's aging population is no longer an abstract issue for policymakers, noted David Dodge, the governor of the central bank.
Fed's Geither on Asian growth
In this speech the New York Fed's president, Tim Geither explains why "Asia will need to prepare for a future in which it relies more on the strength of growth at home rather than on the strength of growth in the rest of the world".
Slovakia's euro changeover plan
The earliest date for adoption of the euro will be January 1 2009, says the central bank report.
Japanese rates on hold
The Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Committee decided on 15 June, by a unanimous vote, to leave interest rates at 0.5%.
Banks still matter most - Bernanke
Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, says the Fed has retained the ability to control financing costs, despite the fact that nonbank lenders and capital markets have replaced banks as sources of credit for many households and businesses.
Rates on hold in Chile
Chile's central bank held its overnight lending rate unchanged for a fifth month in a row, but suggested that higher interest rates may be necessary later this year as inflation accelerates.
Polish governor on inflation, euro entry
Polish inflation is under control and the immediate outlook does not give the National Bank much cause for concern, the central bank's governor, Slawomir Skrzypek, said on 15 June.
The political economy of the MPC - Tucker
In this keynote address to a conference on "Inflation Targeting, Central Bank Independence and Transparency" at the University of Cambridge, Paul Tucker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), discusses the political economy…
Brown promises transparency on MPC appointments
Gordon Brown, Britain's Prime Minister designate, has vowed to make the process of appointing the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee members more transparent, including an open invitation to candidates.
Russian central bank to keep profits
Amendments to the Russian central bank law have been sent from the State Duma to the government for conciliation. If approved, the amendments will cancel the requirement that the central bank transfers 50% of its annual profits to the federal budget.
ECB's June Financial Stability Review
The European Central Bank published its June 2007 Financial Stability Review on 15 June. The report notes that "profitability in both the banking and insurance sectors has been improving" and "the financial system was again tested by the third…
Riksbank reveals how new governors are chosen
The chairman of the general council of Sweden's Riskbank, Johan Gernandt, explained what the central bank looks when it selects executive board members.
Bank of Spain annual report
The overview from the Bank of Spain's annual report for 2006 is now available.
New head for Boston Fed
Eric Rosengren will become president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on 23 July. He will succeed Cathy Minehan who retires after 13 years as president of the Boston Fed, and nearly 40 years of service in the Federal…