Central Banking
Fukui on future challenges for Asian economies
In a speech given on 22 January Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan called for the monetary authorities in Asia to forge closer links to limit the effect of massive money flows into the region.
Richmond Fed's Lacker on the economic outlook
In the speech 'Economic outlook' given on 19 January Jeffrey Lacker of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said the possibility of resurgent inflation remains the biggest risk to policymakers.
Stark on monetary policy: a view from the ECB
In the speech 'Objectives and challenges of monetary policy: a view from the ECB' given on 19 January Jurgen Stark of the ECB said the ECB retains the freedom to move interest rates whenever it considers it necessary to control inflation pressures,…
Why did the Bank of Japan freeze interest rates?
According to this article published by MoneyWeek on Monday 22 January, the Bank of Japan's decision last week to hold interest rates steady has unleashed a storm relating to its independence from political pressure.
Ministers concerned over settlement plan - report
European finance ministers have raised doubts about the European Central Bank's plan to provide its own settlement system for eurozone securities transactions, the Financial Times reported Monday 22 January.
ECB denies Trichet, Juncker, Almunia meetings plan
The European Central Bank denied a report on Monday 22 January which claimed Jean-Claude Trichet, Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker and EU commissioner Joaquin Almunia had agreed to hold informal meetings on the sidelines of the ECB's monthly press…
PBOC advisor says yuan rise may increase surplus
Further yuan appreciation could cause China's trade surplus to increase rather than shrink, a leading advisor to the Chinese central bank told a conference on Sunday 21 January.
ECB's Liikanen says inflation remains a big risk
European Central Bank Governing Council member Erkki Liikanen said there were still upside risks to inflation in the eurozone, Finnish national broadcaster YLE reported Sunday 21 January.
Role of MAS enhanced with Banking Amendment Bill
The Monetary Authority of Singapore's role as the central bank was enhanced on Monday 22 January when Parliament passed the Banking Amendment Bill, Channel News Asia reported.
Buba's Weber warns on German wage hikes
Bundesbank president Axel Weber warned Friday 19 January that sharp wage increases in Germany could set off a new round of inflation and hinder the European Central Bank's price stability goal.
Taking personalities out of monetary policy
The Working Paper 'Taking personalities out of monetary policy decision making? Interactions, heterogeneity and committee decisions in the Bank of England's MPC' from the Centre for Dynamic Macroeconomic Analysis identifies significant interactions…
RBNZ announces role for Steve Anderson at IMF
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced Friday 19 January that the Head of Risk Assessment and Assurance, Steve Anderson, has been appointed to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) External Audit Committee.
Fed's Bernanke on fiscal challenges facing the US
In testimony 'Long-term fiscal challenges facing the United States' given on 18 January Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said the economy could be gravely hurt if Social Security and Medicare aren't revamped, and he called on lawmakers to tackle the…
Cleveland Fed's Pianalto on economic conditions
In the speech 'National and regional economic conditions' given on 18 January Sandra Pianalto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said financial markets seem confident that the Federal Reserve will bring inflation back down, but there is a risk…
Bini Smaghi on global capital & monetary policies
In the speech 'Global capital and national monetary policies' given on 18 January Lorenzo Bini Smaghi of the ECB said central banks must be careful not to overreact to declines in real bond yields, which may reflect special factors related to…
Bank of Canada Monetary Policy Report Update
The Bank of Canada released its January 2007 Monetary Policy Report Update on Thursday 18 January. Canada's economy will pick up this year and next, while global growth slows, according to the report.
Coroner's report on death of BoE's Walton
Former Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member David Walton was killed by a rare flesh-eating bug, a coroner's officer report has shown.
BoT's Tarisa says exports likely to decline
Bank of Thailand governor Tarisa Watanagase on Thursday 19 January said the Thai economy would grow at a slower pace this year since exports are likely to decline.
Economists may review RBA testimony
Australian lawmakers are likely to invite economists to review the twice-yearly testimony of Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens, Bloomberg reported Friday 19 January.
Hungary plans central bank independence increase
Hungary's government is proposing an amendment to the country's Central Bank Act to increase the independence of monetary policy makers, a spokesman at the Finance Ministry has said.
New developments in Kozlov murder case
A woman was charged on Friday 19 January in connection with the murder of Russian central banker Andrei Kozlov.
Zimbabwe: Yet another challenging year for Gono
According to this recent article from the Financial Gazette, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono's turnaround efforts are likely to be gambled on short-term succession politics.
Europe's club of nations needs a rule change
According to this article by Zdenik Tma, governor of the Czech National Bank, first published by the Financial Times on 4 January, ERM-2 rules might have been perfectly legitimate in the past, but today they are outdated and -counter-productive.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, January 2007
The European Central Bank published its January 2007 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 18 January. In the report the ECB said it will continue to monitor all economic developments very closely to ensure that euro zone inflation remains under control.