Central Banking
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…
No need for currency intervention - Dodge
The governor of the Bank of Canada says there is no justification for active market intervention by the central bank to sway the recent strengthening of the Canadian dollar.
IMF backs inflation targets for Armenia, Georgia
A new paper from the IMF makes a case for a gradual transition to full-fledged inflation targeting in both Armenia and Georgia in the medium term.
SNB raises rates, sells gold
The Swiss National Bank has raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.5% on 14 July. The central also announced that it will sell 250 tonnes of gold and increase its foreign exchange reserves by a corresponding amount.
"I'm still around," Gono warns currency dealers
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Gideon Gono, has had to dismiss rumours that he is in bad health after illegal foreign currency dealers celebrated his alleged demise.
Stevens raises inflation spectre
Inflation is more likely to rise during 2008 than to recede, according to Glenn Stevens, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Fed's Beige Book
There was continuing weakness in residential real estate and construction but increasing strength in the commercial real estate sector, including both office and industrial space, reports the Fed's 4th Beige Book of the year.
Soludo on the Nigerian banking system
Following controversy over Springbank, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Soludo, sought to reassure the public in this briefing that the banking system is safest and soundest it has ever been in its history.
Examining monetary policy press conferences
This ECB working paper studies how explanations of monetary policy decisions at press conferences are perceived by financial markets, and finds that ECB press conferences provide substantial additional information to financial markets beyond that…
Conservatives want one-term limit for BoE governor
Britain's opposition Conservative Party is considering a one-term limit for the governor of the Bank of England, a policy that would mark the biggest change in the framework for monetary policy since the bank was made independent in 1997.
Thailand CB hunts ex-PM's missing money
The governor of the Bank of Thailand, Tarisa Watanagase, says the central bank is currently investigating what happened to the money recently withdrawn from the accounts of disposed prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. The governor believes the money has…
Bond yields tighten on rate fears
The world's leading bond markets continued to tighten on 13 June, with benchmark yields reaching multi-year highs as the market responds to the threat of rising interest rates from central banks around the world.
FSA warns on private equity
The British Financial Services Authority (FSA) has voiced concerns over the "excessive level" of debt private equity firms use to buy out public companies.
IMF: Turkish CB independence essential for IT
The independence of Turkey's central bank is essential for the success of inflation targeting, the IMF said in its 2007 article 4 report.
Give Asia its due - Zeti
Malaysia's central bank governor, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, says Asia's increasing role in the global economy underlines the case for the continent being proportionately represented in the international financial community.
Constructing a sovereign balance sheet
In this article two IMF economists discuss a "new tool in surveillance, the public sector balance sheet, [which] can help diagnose vulnerabilities that are not immediately visible in the budget."