Central Banking
Paper on reserve accumulation
This paper suggests that while the hoarding of foreign exchange reserves by emerging-market economies could initially be explained primarily in terms of "self insurance" against global shocks, this explanation increasingly falls short.
Developments in Asian insurance markets
This this speech, Low Kwok Mun, the executive director for insurance regulation at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, considers what Asian countries can do to ensure that they attract the required talent in the insurance industry.
Gambian central bank governor quits
The governor of Gambia's central bank, Famara Jatta, has left the country to take up the less prestigious position of representative of the African Development Bank (ADB) in Sudan.
Bank of Mexico chief pans welfare programmes
Guillermo Ortiz, governor of the Bank of Mexico, called for a reform of the country's labour laws and said that welfare programmes encouraged the poor not to take regular jobs.
Front-runners to succeed Canada's Dodge
Who will succeed David Dodge when he retires as governor of the Bank of Canada in January 2008? The two favourites are the senior deputy governor, Paul Jenkins, and ex-central banker Mark Carney, now a senior associate deputy minister of finance, but…
Nigerian central banker becomes finance minister
The president of Nigeria, Umaru Yar'Adua, appointed Shamsuddeen Usman, a deputy governor at the country's central bank since 1999, as finance minister.
How competition policy affects banks - report
A new report from the ECB finds that as competition policy strengthens banks' share prices rise, but those of non-financial firms fall.
Trichet: no complacency on sub-prime markets
In an interview Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, said he remained cautious of the crisis of the sub-prime market in the United States.
Fed's Braunstein on fair lending
Sandra F. Braunstein, director of the division of consumer and community affairs of the US Federal Reserve Board, gave testimony on fair lending and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act on 25 July.
Global Financial Stability Report - Caruana speech
In this webcast, Jaime Caruana, the director of the monetary and capital markets department of the International Monetary Fund, discusses the main findings of the Fund's April 2007 Global Financial Stability Report.
New Zealand raises official cash rate
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has raised its official cash rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 8.25%, while indicating that further rises may not be necessary.
Czech National Bank raises rates
As widely expected the Czech National Bank (CNB) today raised its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 3% in an ongoing rate tightening cycle.
Kuwait lets dinar appreciate further
The Central Bank of Kuwait has allowed its currency, the dinar, to appreciate against the dollar for the third time in two months. The dinar subsequently appreciated by 1.7%.
Unexpected rise in eurozone money supply
Data from the European Central Bank (ECB) released today showed a surprise jump in M3 money supply in the eurozone and loans to the private sector.
Fund raises 2007 and 2008 growth forecast
The July update of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) published on 25 July by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) increased the Fund forecast for global economic growth for 2007 and 2008 to 5.2%, from 4.9%.
Fed's role in output volatility
This working paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago examines the contribution of monetary policy to the drop in the volatility of output fluctuations in the United States. The author finds that in three periods in particular - the 1960's, 1976 to…
Macao - annual report 2006
Improved economic performance saw the island's credit rating lifted from stable to positive, notes the central bank's annual report.
Dr Zeti on building Malaysia's banks
Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the governor of Malaysia's central bank, sets out how Malaysia's banking system must look to develop amidst a changing financial landscape.
ECB Monthly Bulletin - July
An article interpreting monetary developments in the eurozone since mid-2004 is a timely addition to July's bulletin which shows M3 growth surging above 10% on all measures.
Polish rates stay at 4.5% as expected
Poland's central bank kept interest rates unchanged at its meeting on 25 July. The halt in monetary tightening comes after two rises in the three previous months raised rates to 4.5%.
Singapore's central bank profits more than tripled
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country's central bank, announced on 25 July that its profits more than tripled in the fiscal year through March 2007. This huge increase was due to higher interest payments and gains from asset markets that…
Bank of Italy orders Italease managers to resign
Two senior managers of Banca Italease SpA, a Milan-based leasing company, have been ordered by the Bank of Italy to resign. The central bank said that the company needs to raise capital after it had to spend € 610m ($843m) on unwinding derivatives bets…
Malaysian central bank leaves key rate unchanged
The central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia, has left interest rates unchanged at 3.5%. The decision had been widely expected as inflation has eased substantially to 1.4% in June, after averaging 2% in the first six months of this year.
Bank of Netherlands Antilles to be investigated
The financial supervision exercised by the Bank of the Netherlands Antilles (BNA) is to be checked once more by the Dutch Financial Market Authority (AFM). Last month it was announced that the AFM had found the BNA to be seriously lacking in its…