Central Banking
Takenaka says BOJ rate hike came too early
Japan's former economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka has criticised the Bank of Japan in an interview published Friday 9 March for increasing interest rates in February despite continued deflation.
Simor nominates deputy governor in Hungary
Newly installed National Bank of Hungary (MNB) governor, Andras Simor, proposed Ferenc Karvalits as the MNB's deputy governor and member of the Monetary Council on Thursday 8 March.
China announces reserve fund plan
China's finance minister announced Friday 9 March the country is creating an investment company to make more profitable use of its $1 trillion in foreign currency reserves.
ECB policy on 'accommodative side' says Weber
Bundesbank president Axel Weber said Friday 9 March the European Central Bank's monetary policy remains "on the accommodative side" even after Thursday's rate hike.
Mexico's Senate rejects central bank nominee
The Mexican Senate rejected President Felipe Calderon's nominee for deputy governor of the Bank of Mexico on Thursday 8 March.
Bank of France attacks ECB strategy
According to this article from The Daily Telegraph, published Friday 9 March, the ECB has received an unprecedented attack on the "reliability" of its strategy by the Bank of France and a barrage of attacks by French leaders.
New governor says CBK not to follow IMF blindly
Kenya's newly appointed central bank governor said Wednesday 7 March that the institution should develop partnerships rather than blindly follow the IMF and World Bank.
Bank of Mexico nominee may lose vote
Mexican president Felipe Calderon's nominee to fill a vacant seat on the central bank board will be rejected by the Senate on Friday 9 March, according to a senator quoted by Bloomberg.
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, March 2007
The Federal Reserve published its March 2007 Beige Book survey on Wednesday 7 March. Several U.S. regions noted slower economic growth in the last weeks of February but price pressures remained little changed despite tight labor markets, according to the…
St Louis Fed's Central Banker, Spring 2007
The St. Louis Fed has published the Spring 2007 edition of its Central Banker magazine. In the Feditorial: 'Expanded mission means a sturdier stool' Bank president Bill Poole examines how the St. Louis Fed has expanded our mission to include two…
How a free debt manager will free Indian cb
According to an article from The Economic Times, published Wednesday 7 March, once an independent DMO comes into existence in India, management of both internal and external debt is expected to move away from the central bank.
RBNZ Monetary Policy Statement, March 2007
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand published its March 2007 Monetary Policy Statement on 8 March. The report said recent indicators show clear evidence of a pick-up in economic activity in late 2006 and early 2007.
On welfare benefits of an international currency
This IMF Working Paper assesses the welfare benefits associated with the international use of a country's currency.
Norges Bank Economic Bulletin, December 2006
The latest edition of Norges Bank's Economic Bulletin for December 2006 includes the article 'A retrospective on the introduction of prices in the Norwegian payment system'. The article provides an account of the transition from free services to direct…
RBI's Thorat on banking in the Hinterland
In the speech 'Banking in the Hinterland' given on 14 February Usha Thorat of the Reserve Bank of India said competition in urban areas is squeezing bank margins.
Kamezaki, Nakamura to join BOJ board
Hidetoshi Kamezaki, a senior vice president of Mitsubishi Corp., and Seiji Nakamura, president of MOL Ferry Co., were appointed to the Bank of Japan's nine-member board, Japanese media reported Thursday 8 March.
PBOC's Wu says room for reserve requirement hikes
China has more room to raise the level of reserves that commercial lenders are forced to store with the central bank, a senior People's Bank of China (PBOC) official said Thursday 8 March.
Trichet says ECB may not be done yet on rates
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday 8 March he is not saying that ECB interest rates are necessarily at a peak after increasing interest rates.
Narube on Fiji - the way ahead
In the speech 'Fiji - the way ahead' given on 23 February Savenaca Narube of the Reserve Bank of Fiji said the Reserve Bank has been highlighting the imbalance between exports and imports for some time now.
SARB's Guma on Swaziland and monetary union
In a speech given on 1 March Xolile Guma of the South African Reserve Bank said Swaziland needs to address a number of issues in regard to its position in the establishment of a regional monetary union.
St Louis' Poole on inflation & financial stability
In the speech 'Inflation, financial stability and economic growth' given on 5 March William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said low inflation must be a central bank's prime goal, adding this had helped cushion the U.S. economy from its…
Poland's Balcerowicz warns on Western welfare
"Developing countries should not always look to the West for a model of the welfare state," said Leszek Balcerowicz, former president of Poland's central bank on Tuesday 6 March.
Phil Fed's Plosser on credibility & commitment
In the speech 'Credibility and commitment' given on 6 March Charles Plosser of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said that providing more information about the central bank's policy goals could help keep inflation expectations in check and give…
Fed's Bernanke on GSE portfolios, systemic risk
In the speech 'GSE portfolios, systemic risk, and affordable housing' given on 6 March Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said large investment portfolios held by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may imperil the broader economy and…