Central Banking
Gentle Ben - Inside the head of the Fed
This recent article published by Time says that after a few early missteps, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is hitting his stride, but the economy may not cooperate.
Report says US offers China IMF role deal
The US is quietly offering the prospect that it will help China secure more power in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if Beijing lets the yuan appreciate further against the dollar, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Minutes suggest smaller rate cuts in Brazil
Brazil's central bank said Thursday 27 July it sees a "low probability" of inflationary pressures in the coming quarters, but interest rate cuts may need to be smaller to avoid a pickup in inflation.
BoJ 'very careful' about drastic rate hike-Yosano
Japan's Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano said Thursday 27 July the Bank of Japan is "very careful" about implementing credit tightening too drastically.
PBOC's Yu to stay in post until replaced - report
Yu Yongding, whose term is due to end this month, will remain in his post until a replacement is found, an official in the news department of the People's Bank of China told Dow Jones on Thursday 27 July.
IMF warns Poland over super-regulator
The International Monetary Fund has warned Poland that plans for a unified financial services supervisory agency could expose the system to political interference, the Financial Times reported.
Comment: Transparency in EU bond markets
As a rule, transparency in government activities, in regulation and in financial markets is encouraged and regarded as a positive thing. But when it comes to the way governments sell bonds, the authors of a recent study suggest that increasing…
National Bank of Rwanda - Annual Report 2003
According to the National Bank of Rwanda's Annual Report 2003, Rwanda's economy in 2003 developed in an unfavourable international economic environment linked mainly to the poor performance of capital markets and the rise in energy prices, partly a…
Central Bank of the Philippines - Annual Report 05
According to the Central Bank of the Philippines Annual Report 2005, the Philippine economy expanded by 5.1 percent in 2005, buoyed by the continued growth of the services and industry sectors on the production side and sustained consumer expenditures on…
IMF paper on global imbalances
The International Monetary Fund Working Paper "How Might a Disorderly Resolution of Global Imbalances Affect Global Wealth?" describes the impact on global wealth of an unanticipated shock to U.S. financial markets.
IMF paper on the 2003-05 oil shock
The IMF Working Paper "Weathering the Storm So Far: The Impact of the 2003-05 Oil Shock on Low-Income Countries" examines the impact of the 2003-05 oil price increase on the balance of payments positions and IMF financing needs of low-income country oil…
BoE's Gieve on financial system risks in the UK
In the speech 'Financial system risks in the UK - Issues and challenges' given on 25 July Sir John Gieve of the Bank of England said the probability of a contagious financial crisis may have fallen but its impact, if it ever happened, could be more…
BoJ's Suda sees 'gradual' rate rises
Bank of Japan policy board member Miyako Suda repeated Wednesday 26 July the central bank's view that future rate increases would be 'gradual' if the economy continues to show sustained growth.
Israel's Fischer says fighting damages economy
The conflict between Israel and Hizbollah has had a "considerable" negative impact on Israel's economy but financial markets are expressing confidence it will bounce back, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer told CNBC television on Tuesday 25 July.
Mugabe backs RBZ's Gono
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has become so unpopular that some ruling party officials want him dead, President Robert Mugabe was quoted as saying in the Herald newspaper on Wednesday 26 July.
Bernanke keeps own finances simple
This article from Associated Press, published Tuesday 25 July, provides details of the Federal Reserve chairman's financial disclosure form released this week.
PBOC adviser says right time for yuan rise
An influential economist who advises the People's Bank of China told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday 26 July that China could afford to let the yuan appreciate further in line with market forces because robust economic growth will help to cushion…
Comment: RBI sounds warning call
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised interest rates by 25 basis points on 25 July. The central bank warned that the higher oil prices were having a "permanent" effect. Rapid credit growth and rising risk-premia were also top of the list of concerns…
China's VP calls for stronger central bank
China's Vice Premier has called for the central bank to strengthen its political and ideological education as part of efforts to improve its financial services., according to a report on the People's Bank of China website.
Mersch on monetary policy-making in the euro area
In the speech 'Monetary policy-making in the euro area' given on 28 June Yves Mersch of the Central Bank of Luxembourg said since the introduction of the euro, inflation rates averaged slightly more than 2% in the euro area.
Tetangco on the state of the Philippine economy
In the speech 'The state of the Philippine economy and policy directions of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' given on 17 May Amando Tetangco of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said we are hopeful that the reform agenda we have embarked upon will help us…
Provisional international banking statistics 1Q 06
The BIS on Tuesday 25 July released provisional data for the end of the first quarter of 2006 for both its locational and consolidated banking statistics together with a short commentary.
ECB paper on fiscal policy in a monetary economy
The ECB Working Paper "Fiscal policy in a monetary economy with capital and finite lifetime" develops a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model with nominal rigidities, capital accumulation and finite lifetimes.
Central Bank of Oman - Annual Report 2005
According to the Central Bank of Oman's Annual Report 2005, the macroeconomic environment of Oman in 2005 was characterized by strong economic growth, modest inflation, large surpluses in fiscal and balance of payments positions, monetary and financial…