Central Banking
Pakistan's Hussain plans economic think tank
The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Ishrat Hussain, has said he intends to establish an Economic Think Tank in Pakistan soon after his retirement.
Comment: Divergence and monetary policy
The issue of regional economic divergence continues to attract much attention from policymakers and academics studying the eurozone. The issue is particularly important for the ECB, as it is often mentioned that divergent economic performance across…
Colombia central bank plans reserves sale
Colombia's central bank said on Friday 16 September it cut interest rates by half a percentage point and would sell at least $3 billion in international reserves to the government.
G7 may call for further currency reform in Asia
G7 finance ministers and central bankers are likely to reiterate their call for increased currency flexibility in emerging Asian economies at their meeting in Washington later this week, a source close to the French finance ministry told AFX News.
IMF Staff Papers, Vol 52, No 2, 2005
The latest issue of the IMF Staff Papers published Monday 12 September includes a special section on Central Bank Financial Strength, presenting a collection of papers including "Central bank financial strength, transparency, and policy credibility".
China's forex regime poses fresh puzzle
An article published on Tuesday 13 September says China's new rules for its currency regime could mean the country may be forced to battle the nearly $2 trillion-a-day global forex market to try to control the dollar, euro and yen exchange rates.
Fed's Fisher on banking and the US economy
In the speech 'An overview of banking, and the US and Texas economies' given on 12 September Richard Fisher of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said Hurricane Katrina will not do lasting harm to U.S. growth and the impact on monetary policy is unclear.
Time to go, Mr. Fazio
The agenda set out in this article published Monday 12 September is clear. Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio must go. Even if nobody can legally force him out, the campaign for his resignation will not go away, it says.
World Bank names Europeans to top posts
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz named two Europeans to senior positions at the development lender on Friday 9 September.
Fed schedule suggests Greenspan January exit
The Federal Reserve has shortened its planned two-day monetary policy meeting for 31 Jan - 1 Fed down to one day, suggesting Alan Greenspan will leave the Fed then.
Interview with Bundesbank's Weber
In an interview published on Saturday 10 September Deutsche Bundesbank president Axel Weber said Germany could learn a lot from Britain's success in reducing unemployment to such low levels.
Greenspan successor to face tough economic climate
Until recently it seemed that Alan Greenspan's successor at the Federal Reserve would have a fairly easy ride at first. But according to an article published this week, that seems like a distant memory now that Hurricane Katrina has sent gasoline,…
Place your bets! Will Fazio stay or go?
A Swedish online gambling website is offering odds on whether embattled Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio will stay in office beyond the start of October.
RBI's Mohan on communications in central banks
In the speech 'Communications in central banks: A perspective' given on 9 September Rakesh Mohan of the Reserve Bank of India said central bank communication has come a long way. From the secretive central bankers, allegations are now made that they are…
Greenspan, the Wizard of Bubbleland
This lengthy article published on Wednesday 14 September covers a lot of central banking ground. Greenspan's measured-paced interest-rate policy is a reversal back to the Fed's tradition of gradualism, it says, but the debt cancer is spreading faster…
RBA's Lowe on payment systems
In the speech 'Innovation and governance of payment systems' given on 16 September Philip Lowe of the Reserve Bank of Australia said technological innovation and greater industry co-ordination in Australia's payments systems are required if it is to…
BoE's Lambert downplays UK inflation rise
Writing in the UK newspaper the Sun, Bank of England rate setter Richard Lambert downplayed the sharp recent rise in UK inflation, saying that the central bank does not set rates according to where inflation stands at present.
BOJ's Iwata repeats inflation target call
Bank of Japan deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said Thursday 15 September that the central bank should adopt a specific inflation target to boost transparency in monetary policy and fend off excessive market speculation after its quantitative easing…
Vietnam to maintain compulsory reserves ratio
Vietnam's central bank said on Thursday 15 September it will not raise the compulsory reserve ratio banks must keep aside.
RBI: Banks must improve technology to manage risk
A senior Reserve Bank of India official said Thursday 15 September that Indian banks need to strengthen technology platforms to manage risks better.
Argentina mulls increasing gold reserves
Argentina's central bank may increase its gold reserves as a hedge against inflation and to protect it against financial crises, according to Juan Ignacio Basco, the bank's head of market operations.
Besieged Fazio gets a supporter at last
European Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said Friday 16 September that the Bank of Italy's governor, Antonio Fazio, appears to have acted legally in the ongoing saga that has enveloped the central bank.
Comment: Managing Asian reserves
The accumulation of foreign-exchange reserves by Asian central banks is one of the most talked-about developments in international finance in recent years. Arguably, it is also one of the most misunderstood ones too - its causes and consequences being…
Poland may hold euro referendum
Poland may hold a referendum on when to adopt the euro if the country's expected next ruling coalition cannot agree on a timetable, top presidential candidate Donald Tusk said on Thursday 15 September.