Central Banking
Thai fin min wants to keep control of BoT
Reuters quoted a senior official this week as saying the Thai Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn wants to keep the power to appoint or fire the Bank of Thailand governor.
Papers for Kansas Fed payments event
Non-banks are becoming increasingly prominent in payments systems around the world. The three-day conference look at the implications of this heightened presence for innovation, competition and risk.
Riksbank board divided on rate hold decision
The Swedish Riksbank's monetary policy meeting was divided in its recent decision to leave the rate unchanged, according to reports.
ECB head says UK should join eurozone
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, questioned the UK's refusal to join the eurozone, in an interview in the Financial Times on 17 May.
Trichet supports hedge fund code of conduct
There is growing support around the world for a proposed voluntary code of conduct for hedge funds, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said recently.
Europeans react to Wolfowitz departure
Following the announcement that Paul Wolfowitz, the under-fire president of the World Bank, will step down on 30 June, European government officials are calling for the Bank to rebuild its credibility.
If China's market bubble flattens, will SA pop?
This article, from the South African "Business Report", examines what the possible outcome to the country will be if Chinese stock markets undergo a sudden correction.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, May 2007
The European Central Bank published its May 2007 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 17 May. In the report the ECB reiterated that it is exercising strong vigilance on inflation risks.
SARB Monetary Policy Review, May 2007
The South African Reserve Bank published its Monetary Policy Review for May 2007 on Tuesday 15 May. South Africa's targeted inflation should remain within its range, but the target could be threatened by adverse developments and a poor response to past…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, April 2007
The Deutsche Bundesbank published the English version of its April 2007 Monthly Report on Wednesday 16 May. The report said German GDP growth in the first quarter is expected to have slowed compared with the fourth quarter last year.
Fed's Bernanke on the subprime mortgage market
In the speech 'The subprime mortgage market' given on 17 May Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said a rash of mortgage problems is not expected to affect the broader economy and the Fed would move to crack down on abusive lending practices.
Fed's Kohn on financial stability & policy issues
In the speech 'Financial stability and policy issues' given on 16 May Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said the explosive growth of the credit derivatives market has helped spread risks, but also created new channels to transmit shocks to the economy.
Fukui again says rates must rise
In further comments on Japan's interest rates, Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Thursday 17 May rates should increase gradually to support economic growth amid price stability.
Greenspan joins Pimco in first post-Fed role
Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has signed on as a consultant to Newport Beach-based bond investment giant Pacific Investment Management, known as Pimco, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday 16 May.
Swaziland to introduce RTGS system
The Central Bank of Swaziland announced Wednesday 16 May that it will soon be introducing a Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system at the beginning of June 2007.
Zhou says room to raise reserve requirement
China still has room to raise the commercial banks' reserve requirement ratio, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported Thursday 17 May, citing People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan.
Noyer says Europe may experience sustained growth
European Central Bank governing council member Christian Noyer said on Wednesday 16 May that Europe could be experiencing a period of sustained, stable growth.
Why all the fuss about reserve management?
This article published Tuesday 15 May by Business Day asks why the Central Bank of Nigeria is so concerned about local banks shoring up on reserve management skills.
Danmarks Nationalbank, Monetary Review 1st Q 2007
The Danmarks Nationalbank's Monetary Review for the First Quarter 2007 says the strong upswing in the Danish economy has continued unabated.
Bheenick: Towards the African Monetary Union
In the speech 'Towards the African Monetary Union' given on 9 May Rundheersing Bheenick of the Bank of Mauritius said the launching of the Monetary Policy Committee as a statutory committee of the Bank of Mauritius marked the start of a new era in…
Phil Fed's Survey of Professional Forecasters
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia published its Second Quarter 2007 Survey of Professional Forecasters on 14 May. The outlook for core inflation looks about the same now as it did three months ago, according to 53 forecasters surveyed.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on the new SEPA landscape
In the speech 'The new SEPA landscape from vision to reality (and back)' given on 15 May Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the future looks bright - and the SEPA landscape has all the potential to become a good place to be.
Bank of England Inflation Report, May 2007
The Bank of England published its May 2007 Inflation Report on 16 May. At a press conference BoE governor Mervyn King signalled interest rates may have to increase again to bring inflation back to target.
King hints that Greenspan's comments are unhelpful
Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, told a press conference on Wednesday 16 May that it isn't helpful for former central bankers to comment on aspects of monetary policy or economic conditions.