Central Banking
Central Bank of the UAE - Annual Report 2004
Preliminary estimates of the balance of payments showed that surpluses were achieved in both the trade balance and the current account in 2004, according to the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates Annual Report 2004.
Fed's Bies on productivity and economic outlook
In the speech 'Productivity and economic outlook' given on 18 January, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said last fall's inflation scare has eased somewhat, and the core U.S. inflation rate is at a manageable level.
Inflation targeting: the New Zealand experience
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand released a paper 'Inflation Targeting: the New Zealand Experience and Some Lessons' on Wednesday 18 January , by Dr Alan Bollard and Ozer Karagedikli, which was presented to a conference hosted by the Central Bank of the…
ECB's Issing sees no let up in euro zone growth
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing told a conference on Wednesday 18 January that there are no signs that euro zone growth is slowing.
Bini Smaghi says rate to rise if justified by data
European Central Bank board member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi said on Wednesday 18 January that the ECB will raise its interest rates if new economic data justifies this move.
Bangladesh, Vietnam to sign cb agreement
Dhaka and Hanoi are expected to sign an agreement on cooperation between their central banks during the first meeting of the Bangladesh-Vietnam Joint Economic Commission, scheduled for 6-7 February in Hanoi.
SNB's Roth says price stability not in danger
The chairman of the Swiss National Bank, Jean-Pierre Roth, said on Wednesday 18 January that there are no signs that suggest price stability is in danger in the near term.
Policy shift will be 'headache' says Watanabe
Coping with higher interest rates will pose a "headache" for the Japanese economy, and the central bank is considering how to limit the impact on bonds, according to Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs, who was…
Nigeria's Soludo to speak on global economy
The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, will speak on the global economy on January 24, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Comment: Ugandan banking takes off
A recent IMF working paper documents the vast improvements in the Ugandan banking sector in recent years, arguing that the extension of the central bank's regulatory capacity and the withdrawal of state control have resulted in efficiency gains.
Will Japan target inflation in 2006?
According to this article published on Wednesday 18 January, despite its previous opposition, the Bank of Japan is now likely to find merit in the adoption of a formal inflation target, possibly in conjunction with the government.
Bernanke must prove mettle with rate hike
What the financial markets want from a new Fed chairman are several attributes, among them technical competence and independence, according to this article published on Tuesday 17 January. To prove he's the right person for the job, Ben Bernanke must…
Central Bank of Uruguay - Annual Report 2004
After the deep fall in activity levels that took place in 2002, the Uruguayan economy started a robust recovery process in 2003, the Central Bank of Uruguay said in its Annual Report 2004.
Bank of Canada, Business Outlook Survey, Winter 06
The Bank of Canada published its Winter 2005-2006 Business Outlook Survey on 16 January, saying the results of the survey are broadly similar to those of the autumn survey, with firms in aggregate remaining optimistic about the economic outlook.
Philadelphia Fed Business Review, 4th Quarter 2005
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published its regular Business Review for the Fourth Quarter 2005. The latest edition includes the article "Making monetary policy: What do we know and when do we know it?"
Japan's Tanigaki: Central bank and govt must unite
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki on Tuesday 17 January called for the government and Bank of Japan to put on a united front over monetary policy to avoid worrying investors.
Bernanke to testify on Fed policy mid Feb
Federal Reserve Chairman-nominee Ben Bernanke is likely to visit Capitol Hill in mid-February to deliver the Fed's semiannual monetary policy report.
RBNZ releases outsourcing policy for banks
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Wednesday published its finalised policy on the requirements which will apply to large New Zealand banks that have entered into outsourcing arrangements.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell optimistic on growth
European Central Bank executive board member Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell said on Tuesday 17 January prospects for economic growth across the eurozone are improving.
Comment: Are mortgage markets too complex?
A report published this week by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) suggests that households may no longer "completely understand their mortgage contracts". Not surprisingly, the authors contend that recent changes in housing finance systems…
Tokyo SE halts trading as system folds
The reputation of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the world's second largest by market capitalisation after New York, took a dent on Wednesday 18 January when it was forced to close 20 minutes early because its trading system was on the verge of collapsing.
NBS chief defends ex deputy
Serbian National Bank Governor Radovan Jelasic has told B92 TV that he does not want to believe that ex deputy governor Dejan Simic received bribes.
BOT may get new responsibility under new bill
If approved by parliament, the new Bank of Thailand (BOT) bill will widen the authority of the central bank in managing international reserves.
Reserve Bank of Vanuatu - Annual Report 2003
In the Foreword to the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu's Annual Report 2003 governor Odo Tevi said the twelve months to December 2003 was a challenging time for the RBV.