Central Banking
Sweden's Heikensten: Monetary policy and academics
In the speech 'Monetary policy and the academics' given on 28 October Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said there is no doubt that the problems central bankers face and the practical experiences they gain also have been, and still are, an…
Buba's Remsperger on money in an uncertain world
In the speech 'Money in an uncertain world' given on 27 October Hermann Remsperger of the Deutsche Bundesbank said it is a fact that uncertainty will remain a key characteristic of monetary policy making.
Alan Greenspan gives Ben Bernanke some pointers
This article published on Monday 31 October carries a supposed conversation between Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke. It says that, according to press reports, Greenspan wanted Donald Kohn to head the Federal Reserve instead of Bernanke.
Bernanke's models, and their limits
This article published on Sunday 30 October asks what Ben Bernanke's academic work can tell us about the sort of Fed chairman he will make. He has written repeatedly about ways of using dauntingly complex mathematical models of the economy to set…
Russia, China set to sign banking agreement
The Russian central bank and the Chinese Banking Regulatory Commission are expected to sign an agreement during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov to China on 3-4 November.
Venezuela's Chavez plans $5 bn reserves spend
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in a TV broadcast that he plans to take an additional $5 billion in reserves from the central bank next year in order to boost spending on various projects.
PBOC issues new rules on electronic payments
The People's Bank of China has issued new rules regarding electronic payments designed to minimize transaction risk.
Bank of Japan says end of deflation in sight
The Bank of Japan said on Monday 31 October that the seven-year period of deflation will end in the year to March 2006.
China forex reserves expected to hit $820 bn
China's foreign exchange reserves are expected to total $820 billion by the end of 2005 on strong trade inflows, an economist at a government think tank said.
Comment: Japan sees return to normal
Japan's monetary policymakers yesterday delivered another instalment of what is becoming an increasingly confident message: after seven years of deflation, they expect prices to start rising again early next year.
Bank of Israel lowers pay for new workers
The Bank of Israel will pay new workers 30 per cent less than current employees, under an agreement reached between the central bank, its workers union and the Finance Ministry.
Brazil central bank workers end month long strike
Brazil's central bank employees resumed work this week after a one month strike which delayed the release of important macroeconomic data.
Iceland's Oddsson waives pension rights
David Oddsson, former prime minister and new governor of the Central Bank of Iceland, has declined to take up a retirement pension for his 13 years as prime minister and one year as foreign minister.
Interview with PBOC's Xiang Junbo
In a recent interview People's Bank of China deputy governor, Xiang Junbo, said the central bank has been undergoing institutional changes. The establishment of the PBOC Shanghai Head Office is an important step to improve the central bank system and to…
Bernanke steps into Greenspan's shoes
Although Ben Bernanke was nominated as Fed chairman this week, he has shown in the past that he isn't a fan of the conservative dress code favoured by central bankers. Bernanke surprised George W Bush by wearing a pair of tan socks with a dark suit to a…
Central bankers welcome Fed nominee
Following Ben Bernanke's nomination to succeed Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve, central bankers were out in force this week to welcome the move.
Interview with RBI governor YV Reddy
In an interview published on Wednesday 26 October, Reserve Bank of India governor Yaga Venugopal Reddy said baby steps are the fashion of the day. Nowadays, in monetary policy, no one takes big steps.
Interview with Ben Bernanke
In an interview published on Tuesday 25 October, but conducted before his nomination to the Fed, Ben Bernanke said that there was so far little reason to fear that the sharp rise in energy prices would feed through into wider inflation.
Gjedrem on risk & growth in the financial industry
In the speech 'Risk and growth in the financial industry' given on 27 October Svein Gjedrem of Norges Bank said given the current picture, a sharp increase in bank losses is not likely in the near future.
IMF Paper on international reserves
The IMF Working Paper "International reserves: Precautionary vs. mercantilist views, theory, and evidence" compares the importance of precautionary and mercantilist motives in the hoarding of international reserves by developing countries.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Annual Report 04-05
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand released its 2004-2005 Annual Report on Friday. RBNZ governor Alan Bollard said many of the achievements in the Annual Report in 2004-2005 were firsts for the Bank.
Bernanke needs tips from Ian Macfarlane
According to this article published on Wednesday 26 October, President George W. Bush has passed up the chance to put a decent central banker in charge of the Federal Reserve Board. Big Mac is well known in Washington - a central banker's central banker,…
Greenspan at the Dallas Fed Branch dedication
In a speech given on 27 October Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said while Mike Kelley served on the Board, he was keenly interested in a wide range of issues that spanned the gamut of what the Federal Reserve does.
Serdengecti: Hot money flows no threat to Turkey
Turkey's central bank governor is "not scared" of hot money flows to the country, the governor of the central bank, Sureyya Serdengecti said in London on Thursday 27 October.