Central Banking
Sweden's Riksbank unanimous on recent rate rise
Minutes released Tuesday 2 January showed Swedish central bank policymakers were unanimous in raising the repo interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.00 percent on 14 December.
ECB's Liikanen sees inflation risks
European Central Bank Governing Council member, Erkki Liikanen, said there were still upside risks to inflation in the eurozone, Finnish national broadcaster YLE reported on Tuesday 2 January.
Report says BoJ to consider rate rise this month
The Bank of Japan will likely consider raising interest rates as early as this month, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Monday 1 January.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Dec 2006
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's December 2006 Business Outlook Survey, overall economic conditions in the region's manufacturing sector declined slightly in December. Indicators for general activity, new orders, and unfilled…
A huge blow to Thailand's financial credibility
According to this article from The Nation, published Friday 22 December, the Bank of Thailand and Finance Ministry have shot themselves in the foot this week.
IMF paper on implementing inflation targeting
The International Monetary Fund Working Paper "Implementing inflation targeting: Institutional arrangements, target design, and communications" focuses on three elements of inflation targeting most closely associated with transparency.
Richmond Fed's Lacker on the economic outlook
In the speech 'Economic outlook' given on 21 December Jeffrey Lacker of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said it's too soon to say price increases have moderated enough to put policymakers at ease.
Bank of Slovenia joins Central Bank Gold Agreement
The central bank of Slovenia has joined the Central Bank Gold Agreement which limits gold sales by central banks, the European Central Bank said Friday 22 December.
UAE's Al Suwaidi sees union of 'one form' by 2010
The governor of the UAE central bank told reporters Friday 22 December that one form of a Gulf single currency union will be introduced by the current deadline of 2010.
Fundanga on Bank of Zambia's management programme
In the speech 'The Bank of Zambia's management development programme for managers' given on 4 December Caleb Fundanga of the Bank of Zambia said the inclusion of a module on the Core Functions of the Bank of Zambia is designed to provide knowledge on the…
Israel's Fischer on dollarization
In the speech 'Dollarization' given on 15 December Stanley Fischer of the Bank of Israel asks if dollarization, including full dollarization, should be avoided, why join EMU?
BOJ minutes show divergence with markets on views
Minutes from the Bank of Japan's 15-16 November policy board meeting published Friday 22 December showed some members saw a "divergence" between the central bank and market participants over how to assess the economic climate in light of some weak data.
BOT's Tarisa says no new curbs planned
The head of the Bank of Thailand, Tarisa Watanagase, said Friday 22 December that further measures to curb international investors' funds would not be introduced.
Spain says ECB 'independent and professional'
Spanish economy minister Pedro Solbes told Reuters on Wednesday 20 December Spain supports the European Central Bank's policy and is in a different position to France.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, December 2006
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its December 2006 monthly report on Thursday 21 December. In the report the BOJ said the economy continues to expand moderately although growth in consumer spending has been modest.
BoE's King: reform of international institutions
In the speech 'Through the looking glass: Reform of the international institutions' given on 21 December Mervyn King of the Bank of England said the IMF must focus on the spillover effects of economic policies and ensure its work is independent of member…
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on TARGET2-Securities
In the speech 'TARGET2-Securities meeting with market participants' given on 18 December Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said safe and efficient clearing and settlement systems are essential for the overall functioning of the financial market and for…
Turkey's Yilmaz on dollarization
In the speech 'Dollarization - consequences and policy options' given on 14 December Durmus Yilmaz of the Central Bank of Turkey said it is apparent that the level of dollarization in Turkey is still high, which is an important challenge for monetary…
Kato on economic growth in the Arab countries
In the speech 'Institutions and economic growth in the Arab countries' given on 19 December Takatoshi Kato of the IMF said there is an enormous potential in the Arab region for improving the business environment.
Is the RBI being irrationally exuberant?
According to this article from Rediff News, published Saturday 16 December, asks whether the Reserve Bank of India's recent decision to raise interest rates is an exercise in "rear window" economics.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, November 2006
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for November 2006, published 21 December, was -0.26 in November, slightly up from -0.30 in October. All of the four broad categories of indicators in the index made negative contributions.
PBOC says Thailand has lessons for China
Thailand's recent financial turmoil holds lessons for China and shows that controls over the pace of currency appreciation are needed, a People's Bank of China researcher said Thursday 21 December.
Mozambique cb worried over oil dependence
The governor of the central bank of Mozambique, Ernesto Gove, said Wednesday 20 December in Maputo that he was "concerned with Mozambique's total dependence," on imported oil.
UAE central bank sees profits soar
The net profit of the UAE central bank is expected to reach Dh2.7 billion ($730 million) in 2007 while the projected revenues were Dh4.65 billion against expenditures of Dh1.95 billion, Gulf News reported.