Central Banking
Central Bank of Argentina - a changed view on gold
This article published Monday 19 September says the Central Bank of Argentina has now changed its philosophy and was a purchaser of gold during 2004 as it reshaped its portfolio and may consider taking more in the future along with other Latin American…
ECB's Papademos on the new EU Member States
In a speech given on 19 September Lucas Papademos of the ECB said that the ECB so far sees no sign that costly energy is pushing up wages and prices broadly throughout the eurozone economy.
Comment: Gold stages a comeback
With the gold price hitting 18-year highs, it is about time there was serious re-thinking among central bankers with regards to holding gold as a part of their reserve portfolios.
Monetary policy predictability in the euro area
This Norges Bank Working Paper evaluates the ability of market participants to anticipate monetary policy decisions in the euro area and in 13 other countries.
Policymaking on the FOMC: Transparency, Continuity
This Economic Letter is adapted from remarks by Janet Yellen, President and CEO of the San Francisco Fed, made on 31 May. Yellen says over the past decade, the FOMC has continually re-assessed the costs and benefits of various steps toward greater…
EU calls for single payment area by 2010
Charlie McCreevy, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services said on Tuesday 20 September that banks must create a single pan-EU system for payments by 2010, a demand the European Commission will underpin by legislation.
Jarai says euro target date 'hopeless' for Hungary
Hungary's "macroeconomic developments do not appear to be improving, especially in terms of the public sector", Hungary's central bank Governor Zsigmond Jarai told a press conference on Monday 19 September.
China to attend G7 Washington talks
China has accepted an invitation to a working lunch on Friday in Washington of finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven major industrialised countries, Vice-Finance Minister Li Yong said on Tuesday 20 September.
BoE's Nickell warns on growth shortfall in UK
The economy faces a 'serious risk' that economic growth will fall short of the Bank of England's forecasts, Stephen Nickell, a member of the central bank's rate-setting body told the Financial Times.
Fed will raise rates and indicate more to come
According to an article published on Monday 19 September, the Federal Reserve's FOMC committee will increase interest rates on Tuesday, with financial markets gradually accepting that the effect of Hurricane Katrina won't deter them.
BoE's Walton on monetary policy challenges
In the speech 'Monetary policy challenges facing a new MPC member' given on 16 September David Walton of the Bank of England said it has been a very interesting, and challenging, time to join the MPC.
ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo on regional divergence
In the speech 'Regional divergence in the euro area' given on 19 September Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo of the ECB said growth and inflation differentials among euro countries are far from being large, whether from a historical perspective or compared…
Central Europe: What's delaying the euro
Momentum in Central Europe to adopt the euro as soon as possible has diminished, this article reports. The big obstacle, it says, is budget deficits.
Albania's Fullani on the Bulgarian National Bank
In the speech 'Experiences of the Bulgarian National Bank in its road towards the ESCB' given on 5 September Ardian Fullani of the Bank of Albania said the Bulgarian economy and the Bulgarian National Bank have been going through substantial reforms in…
Report says IMF to cut US growth outlook
The International Monetary Fund expects the United States economy to grow less than previously expected this year and next, but will upgrade Japan's growth prospects on its upcoming world economic scorecard, German newspapers said over the weekend.
PBOC vows to maintain stable yuan
China's central bank said Monday 19 September it will keep the yuan rate basically stable as it works to improve the exchange rate mechanism introduced at the end of July.
GSE bill vote seen this week
The U.S. House of Representatives may vote on legislation to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this week, a key lawmaker has said.
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.