Central Banking
Top prosecutor says Kozlov murder solved
The murder of Andrei Kozlov, first deputy chairman of the Russian central bank, has been solved, the Russian Prosecutor General said Tuesday 5 December.
ECB raises interest rates to 3.5%
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday 7 December it was essential to act in a "firm and timely manner" to safeguard price stability in the eurozone,after the bank raised interest rates from 3.25pct to 3.5pct.
Polish PM dismisses Gilowska NBP link
Poland's prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski has dispelled rumours of deputy PM and finance minister Zyta Gilowska leaving his cabinet in order to become head of the National Bank of Poland (NBP).
BoJ's Iwata says fair competition important
Bank of Japan deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata on Thursday 7 December underscored the need to ensure fair competition between two subsidiaries of Japan Post when the 10-year postal privatisation process begins in October.
Spain's Ordoez on financial integration in Europe
In the speech 'Financial integration and stability in Europe' given on 3 December Miguel Fernandez Ordoez of the Bank of Spain said supervisors face a double challenge in the face of increased EU integration.
Illogical rules make Slovenians feel second-class
This article from the Financial Times, published Wednesday 6 December, asks whether Slovenia will be a second-class member of the eurozone with restrictions on the movement of labour from the small state.
IMF's Rajan on a global shortage of fixed assets
In the speech 'Is there a global shortage of fixed assets?' given on 1 December Raghuram Rajan of the IMF said investment does seem to be picking up steadily.
BoJ's Nishimura concerned over slow consumption
Bank of Japan board member Kiyohiko Nishimura said in a speech on Wednesday 6 December further interest rate hikes by the BoJ are expected to be "gradual" as far as inflation expectations remain low, adding he is "greatly concerned" about slow domestic…
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo on the ageing problem
In the speech 'The ageing problem: its impact on financial markets and possible policy responses' given on 1 December Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said the ECB has repeatedly called on governments to implement comprehensive reforms in public…
Fed's Fisher:The extended importance of the euro
In the speech 'The extended importance of the euro' given on 17 November Richard Fisher of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said challenges remain for the euro area.
SARB's Guma on investing in Africa
In the speech 'Investing in Africa' given on 28 November X P Guma of the South African Reserve Bank said central bankers, and many who work in central banks often hear: they do not always listen.
BoT's Watanagase on inflation targeting
In the speech 'Inflation targeting - a reflection on Thailand's experience' given on 13 November Tarisa Watanagase of the Bank of Thailand said despite all the good things inflation targeting has brought us, it is not a panacea.
'Irrational exuberance' may now be more rational
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Tuesday 5 December, ten years after Alan Greenspan's "irrational exuberance" statement, share prices are rising again, but this time it might be more rational.
Zambia converting debt into marketable securities
The Zambian government has converted part of its long term debt owed to the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) into short-to-medium term marketable government securities in a move to boost the central bank's scope for liquidity management in the economy, the Times of…
China plans RMB option market launch - report
The Chinese government plans to launch an option market for its currency, the Renminbi (RMB), to help its banks avoid risks incurred by the partial flotation of exchange rates according to the Beijing News.
Garganas looks to reform of banking regulation
Greek central bank governor Nikos Garganas told a banking forum on Tuesday 5 December that he wanted to see reform of banking regulation.
RBZ chief out of presidential race
Zimbabwe's central bank governor has ruled himself out of the race to succeed President Robert Mugabe in a web chat with New Zimbabwe.com.
Fed's Bies on Basel II implementation
In the speech 'A U.S. perspective on Basel II implementation' given on 30 November Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve defended a new capital plan for large U.S. banks but signalled that some cumbersome parts of the plan could be streamlined.
Tumpel-Gugerell on financial integration
In the speech 'Financial integration and stability in Europe' given on 1 December Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said effective and efficient banking supervision is essential, both to promote financial integration and to safeguard financial…
Norges Bank Financial Stability Report No.2, 2006
The central bank of Norway, Norges Bank, published its twice yearly Financial Stability Report for 2/2006 on 5 December. Overall, the outlook for financial stability is considered to be satisfactory, according to the report.
Sveriges Riksbank, Financial Stability Report 2:06
Sweden's central bank, the Sveriges Riksbank, published its second Financial Stability Report for 2006 on 5 December. At present the Riksbank sees no serious threats to financial stability, according to the report.
Bernanke programmes dilute Greenspan's intuition
According to this article published by Bloomberg on Monday 4 December, a small team of Federal Reserve staff is testing a new "factor model'' programme that does the work of hundreds of economists.
Weak data won't deter rate rise - BoJ's Mizuno
Bank of Japan policy board member Atsushi Mizuno said in a speech Tuesday 5 December that the central bank can raise its key short-term interest rate despite recent weak economic data.
Chicago Fed's Moskow says US economy 'solid'
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Michael Moskow said in an interview Monday 4 December that the U.S. economy is still "solid" and poised to approach 3 percent growth next year.