Central Banking
ECB 'seriously concerned' over stability pact
The European Central Bank expressed serious concern on Monday about proposed reforms to the European Union Stability and Growth Pact that were announced over the weekend.
Interview with ECB's Trichet
In an interview published on Wednesday 16 March, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said the bank continues to see moderate economic growth in the eurozone during 2005, despite recent signs of "greater dynamism" in investments and…
Interview with Bundesbank's Weber
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday 16 March, Bundesbank president Axel Weber said with higher incomes resulting from an increase in 2006 German employment, there should be better consumption and thus a recovery in the domestic economy.
Elections to the Board of Directors, Denmark
The five-year terms of three of the 25 members of the Board of Directors expire on 31 March 2005. At a meeting on 15 March the Board of Directors re-elected Helle Bechgaard, Director, Niels Fog, Merchant, and Kirsten Stallknecht, Former President of the…
New head of statistics at Danmarks Nationalbank
As of 1 August, Jens Dalsgaard, Deputy Head of Statistics, will take over the position as Head of Statistics at Danmarks Nationalbank.
Sleepy Hollow's central bank
This article published on Monday 14 March looks at the situation surrounding the appointment of Stanley Fischer as governor of the Bank of Israel. There is contradictory information in Jerusalem on when exactly Fischer will arrive in Israel, it says, and…
Democracy in inaction at the World Bank
This article by Joseph Stiglitz asks why the search for James Wolfensohn's successor at the World Bank should be limited to an American loyal to a particular political party? According to the Nobel laureate, the entire process of choosing its leaders is…
Greenspan shields Fed's political independence
During Alan Greenspan's 17 1/2 years as Fed chairman, he has toiled endlessly - and largely successfully - to shield the US central bank from assaults on its independence, whether from Congress or the White House, this article says.
Canada's Longworth on mon policy, economic outlook
In a speech on 'Monetary policy and the economic outlook' given on 17 March, David Longworth of the Bank of Canada said the Bank will slacken the pace of interest-rate increases as a strong currency slows economic growth by reducing exports and boosting…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Mar 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, March 2005, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand, but at a slower rate than in February.
Implementation of Basel II in New Zealand
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced on Friday 18 March that it will allow both the "Internal Ratings Based" and "Advanced Measurement" Approaches in the implementation of the Basel II capital framework in New Zealand.
Wolfowitz nominated to head World Bank
George W. Bush nominated one of the administration's top hawks, Paul Wolfowitz, as the next President of the World Bank this week, in a move that drew criticism from various quarters.
PBOC says Guo Shuqing still bank vice governor
The People's Bank of China has said Guo Shuqing is still a vice governor at the central bank, following his recent appointment as the Communist Party secretary of China Construction Bank.
Fischer will become Bank of Israel governor 1 May
The government is due to approve Prof. Stanley Fischer's appointment as the eighth governor of the Bank of Israel on Monday 21 March, local press reports said.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, March 2005
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its March 2005 monthly report on 18 March. In the report the BOJ said exports were "starting to pick up", an improvement on its description of "flat" exports in February.
ECB opinion on new Executive Board member
At a meeting on Friday 18 March, the Governing Council of the ECB adopted an opinion on a recommendation from the Council of the European Union on the appointment of a new member of the Executive Board of the ECB.
The U.S. current account and the dollar
The dollar has further to fall, according to a recent paper by Professors Blanchard, Giavazzi and Sa of MIT, and an end to the Chinese peg might - contrary to conventional thinking - be bad for Europe, they argue.
Are Korea's rising foreign reserves bane or boon?
Korea's massive foreign reserves have sparked debate on the optimum level of reserves and the management of the currency supply. But according to this article, 'Are rising foreign reserves bane or boon?', the key question is not what level the central…
Stability pact showdown expected
A showdown may be in the offing regarding the EU's stability and growth pact. The EU summit in Brussels next week is expected to discuss reform of the 25-nation bloc's fiscal rules.
Bank of Korea not to alter dollar reserves- report
The Bank of Korea does not intend to alter the proportion of its foreign exchange reserves denominated in US dollars, although it will seek to maximise profit from its forex holdings by investing in a broader range of assets, the Wall Street Journal…
Ukraine to move to more flexible peg
Ukrainian Economy Minister Serhiy Teryokhin said the country plans to replace the hryvna's peg to the dollar with a more flexible exchange rate system that includes the euro.
ECB says Lithuanian mint on track for euros
Lithuania's mint meets the basic requirements for coining euros, the central bank said Thursday, citing the conclusions of a team of European Central Bank officials who visited the mint this week.
BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey - Final Results
The BIS published the final results of its 2004 Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity on Thursday 17 March, showing a substantial increase in turnover in the foreign exchange market and in the growth of…
Sweden's Heikensten on monetary policy
In a speech on 'Introduction on monetary policy' given on 15 March, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank told the government's finance committee that the board left interest rates unchanged because too much emphasis had recently been placed on the…