Central Banking
Malaysia says won't impose capital controls
Malaysia does not intend to adopt a similar stance as Thailand by imposing capital controls, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday 20 December.
Central Bank of Kuwait - Annual Report 2005-2006
According to the Central Bank of Kuwait's Annual Report 2005-2006, the CBK continued its efforts aimed at boosting competition among the banking and financial system units during the fiscal year, by allowing foreign banks to open branches in the State of…
Roth on seventy years after the gold standard
In the speech 'Seventy years after - the final collapse of the gold standard in September 1936' given on 15 December Jean-Pierre Roth of the Swiss National Bank said the Swiss like to remember that their currency has only been devalued once since its…
NBP's Rybinski on global imbalances
In the speech 'Global imbalances and implications for emerging markets' given on 15 December Krzysztof Rybinski of the National Bank of Poland said an upcoming US slowdown would likely further increase excess saving and lower valuations of US equities…
berg: The Riksbank and wage bargaining
In the speech 'The Riksbank and the wage bargaining rounds' given on 18 December Svante berg of the Sveriges Riksbank said most indications are that we can look forward to wage bargaining rounds in 2007 that are compatible with continued good economic…
ECB report on accounting standards
The European Central Bank (ECB) on 19 December published a report entitled "Assessment of accounting standards from a financial stability perspective" prepared by the ESCB Banking Supervision Committee.
Central banks and bubbles: Prevention or cure?
This article published Friday 15 December by Rediff News asks whether it's the Reserve Bank of India's job to go around pricking asset price bubbles.
Central banks sign MoU on financial crises
An agreement entitled "Memorandum of Understanding on Management of a financial crisis in banks with cross-border subsidiaries or branches" was signed in Stockholm Monday 18 December by the central banks of Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
BoJ's Fukui says prices, spending weaker
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Tuesday 19 December that the consumer price index and private consumption have recently been weaker than the BoJ had thought a few months earlier.
BOK's Rhee says won to fall v dollar in 2007
South Korea's won ``has peaked'' according to a Bank of Korea official, and is poised to weaken versus the dollar in 2007.
Thailand reconsiders baht policy
Foreign investors bailed out of the Thai stock market in droves Tuesday 19 December, forcing Thailand's military government to go back on comments that it would not abandon just-announced measures aimed at stemming the country's surging currency.
Confidence in German economy high
Strong global demand for Germany's manufacturing exports has pushed business confidence in Europe's biggest economy to its highest level since the country was reunified at the start of the 1990s, the Ifo institute announced Tuesday 19 December.
Wellink on goals and strategies of Basel
In the speech 'Goals and strategies of the Basel Committee' given on 11 December Nout Wellink of the Netherlands Bank and Chairman of the Basel Committee said the Basel Committee's goals are to provide a forum for information sharing, to promote…
Fischer on the openness of Israel's economy
In the speech 'The openness of Israel's economy to the global economy and the importance of Israel's joining the OECD' given on 11 December Stanley Fischer of the Bank of Israel said membership of the OECD would promote Israel's position in the important…
SNB's Roth on recent economic developments
In the speech 'Recent economic and financial developments in Switzerland' given on 14 December Jean-Pierre Roth of the Swiss National Bank said the economic situation in Switzerland has continued to improve.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, November 2006
The Deutsche Bundesbank published the English version of its November 2006 Monthly Report on Thursday 14 December. The report said euro- zone interest rates are still very low and inflation risks persist despite a recent drop in the inflation rate.
Sveriges Riksbank Economic Review 3rd Quarter 2006
The Sveriges Riksbank published its Economic Review for the 3rd Quarter 2006 on Monday 18 December. The latest edition includes the article "Who is paying for the IMF?."
Iran plans move towards euro from dollar
A spokesman for the Iranian government said Monday 18 December that the Central Bank of Iran will convert the state's foreign dollar holdings into euros and use the euro for foreign transactions.
Trichet on defensive over ECB political attacks
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet defended the ECB against attacks by French politicians in an interview published Monday 18 December, saying that it has a mandate from governments and voters which guarantees its independence from…
ECB's Stark says eurozone rates still low
European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist Juergen Stark said Thursday 14 December the bank's interest rate policy is still accommodative and noted that levels are low.
UAE says GCC trying to simplify plans
The governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, on Sunday 17 December tried to play down rumours of cracks in plans for the proposed GCC monetary union by 2010.
US, China agree reforms but differ on timing
Following the talks in Beijing last week U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said China and the US have agreed basic principles on a wide range of issues including economic times, but the timing of any moves remains a stumbling block.
BOT sets limit on Thai baht exchange
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has made a major intervention in the markets to stem the soaring Thai baht, setting a reserve requirement on short-term capital inflows that will come into effect Tuesday 19 December.
Gulf monetary union is a cracking project?
According to this article published by Gulf News on Saturday 16 December, Oman's decision to pull out of the 2010 deadline indicates pressure on the proposed GCC single currency.