Central Banking
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 it is important that Israel's membership of the OECD remain high on the…
Fullani on the Bank of Albania's progress
In the speech 'Bank of Albania - progress during 2006' given on 8 December Ardian Fullani of the Bank of Albania said that we are carefully evaluating the degree to which the preconditions are met before shifting to fully fledged inflation targeting in…
Liikanen on Finland, EMU and euro
In the speech 'Finland, EMU and euro' given on 1 December Erkki Liikanen of the Bank of Finland said all in all, in its early years, Finnish EMU membership seems to have fulfilled most of its promises and avoided most of its risks.
Polish president proposes surprise NBP candidate
Polish President Lech Kaczynski named economics professor Jan Sulmicki as his candidate for governor of the National Bank of Poland, the president's office said in a statement on Tuesday 13 December.
US Fed keeps benchmark rate unchanged
The U.S. Federal Reserve held key interest rates steady at 5.25 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Tuesday 12 December, while renewing a warning that risks from inflation remain.
Bank of France sees rebound in Q4
The French economy will bounce back in the last three months of 2006 after stalling in the third quarter, according to a Bank of France survey released on Wednesday 13 December.
'Still low' says Mersch on ECB rates
Luxembourg central bank governor Yves Mersch said Wednesday 13 December the European Central Bank's interest rates are "still low".
Norges Bank raises rates to 3.50%
The Norwegian central bank said Wednesday 13 December it has decided to raise the sight deposit rate to 3.50 pct from 3.25 pct, effective from Thursday.
Promoting effective and accountable central banks
According to this article from the Bangkok Post, published Saturday 9 December, authorities must ensure consistency between the objectives of a central bank, its authority, degree of autonomy and accountability.
RBA's Stevens on finance and economic development
In the speech 'Finance and economic development' given on 12 December Glenn Stevens of the RBA said leveraged buyout activity could become a more prominent issue for the nation's financial system over the next five years.
BoE's Tucker on asset prices and uncertainties
In the speech 'Asset price and financial system uncertainties' given on 11 December Paul Tucker of the Bank of England said an interest rate rise in November was needed to ensure that inflation expectations remained well-anchored ahead of the January pay…
Canada's Dodge on financial system efficiency
In the speech 'Improving financial system efficiency: The need for action' given on 11 December David Dodge of the Bank of Canada said Canada's macroeconomic policies are second to none in supporting financial system efficiency, but work is needed to…
Papademos on the ECB's Financial Stability Review
In opening remarks to the ECB's Financial Stability Review press conference given on 11 December Lucas Papademos of the ECB said robust growth of credit to the euro area private sector could pose an upside risk to price stability.
ECB's Financial Stability Review, December 2006
The European Central Bank published its December 2006 Financial Stability Review on 11 December. In the report the ECB said the euro area financial system has proven resilient to adverse disturbances.
Side effects for ECB transparency
This article from the Financial Times, published Monday 11 December, says that a mixture of good luck and good judgment has made this a good year for the ECB.
Villepin wants clarification of ECB role
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called on Monday 12 December to "clarify the roles" of European Central Bank (ECB), amid talk regarding the recent high levels of the euro.
Israel's Fischer says rate cuts will be gradual
The governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer on Monday 11 December said he would reduce interest rates gradually because any "drastic" reduction would cause inflation to break the bank's target.
Poland's central bank chief named before Xmas
Polish minister Aleksander Szczyglo from the President's Office said Tuesday 12 December in a Polish radio report that the name of the new head of the central bank should be known by Christmas.
Murerwa denies fallout with Zimbabwe's Gono
Zimbabwe's finance minister dismissed rumours he is at odds with central bank governor Gideon Gono as the country's economic crisis deepens, reports said on Tuesday 12 December.
Two candidates for Slovenia's central bank chief
Two candidates have applied for the post of the governor of Banka Slovenije, Slovenia's central bank, President Janez Drnovsek's office told STA News.
Fed's FOMC likely to hold US interest rates
The US economy is in fairly good shape despite the flagging housing and auto industries, suggesting the Federal Reserve will leave US interest rates unchanged at its meeting Tuesday 12 December.
BIS Quarterly Review, December 2006
The Bank for International Settlements published its December 2006 Quarterly Review on Monday 11 December. The report said financial markets appear to be confident about the outlook for global economic growth and expect a "soft landing" in the US.
Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, Winter 2006
The Bank of England published its Quarterly Bulletin for Winter 2006 on Monday 11 December. The latest issue includes the article an article which examines the available data on immigration to the United Kingdom.
BoJ's Iwata on monetary policy in Japan
In the speech 'The role of money and monetary policy in Japan' given on 10 November Kazumasa Iwata of the Bank of Japan said the BoJ's new framework introduced two perspectives on examining economic activity and prices.