Central Banking
CBN on learning curve
In almost one year of Charles Soludo's appointment as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria his tenure the CBN is in a learning curve, this article says. This has manifested in three major policies, among them the restructuring of the CBN and the…
Norway's Gjedrem: Business cycles, monetary policy
In a speech 'On business cycles, monetary policy and property markets' given on 26 April, Svein Gjedrem of Norges Bank said the Norwegian economy is growing at a solid pace and there are prospects that growth will remain high.
ECB's Issing on EU and euro zone enlargement
In a speech on 'The enlargement of the EU and the euro zone' given on 27 April Otmar Issing of the ECB said the main question for the new Member States is how to achieve fast catching up to the old Member States.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Apr 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, April 2005, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand.
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Mar/Apr 2005
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for March-April 2005 includes an article by Allan Meltzer "Origins of the Great Inflation". The Great Inflation from 1965 to 1984 is the climactic monetary event of the last part of the 20th century. The…
RBNZ leaves rates unchanged at 6.75%
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand left the OCR unchanged at 6.75 per cent on Thursday 28 April. In a statement RBNZ governor Alan Bollard said underlying inflation pressures are persisting, as evidenced by rising business costs and ongoing labour market…
ECB's Trichet calls for debate on company profits
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet has called for a European debate on the way company profits are distributed.
Fed's Gramlich on federal /state lending standards
Federal Reserve Governor Edward Gramlich said on Wednesday 27 April that creating federal standards to combat predatory lending will not necessarily lead to a safer system for consumers.
Calls for curb on Brazil's central bank autonomy
Severino Cavalcanti, the president of Brazil's lower house of congress, has said he wants to remove the power of the central bank to independently set interest rates.
Fukui says policy may not change with positive CPI
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Thursday the central bank would not necessarily abandon its ultra-easy credit policy once the core consumer price index stops falling.
Norway's Bergo on business cycles, monetary policy
In a speech on 'Business cycles and monetary policy' given on 21 April, Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said the Norwegian economy is growing at a solid pace and there are prospects that growth will remain high.
A post-reflation monetary framework for Japan
Modifications to Japan's monetary policy framework will be needed as positive inflation resumes because the current monetary regime and operations are tailored to ending deflation, this IMF Working Paper says.
Bundesbank's Meister on Basel II
In a speech on 'The supervisory implications of Basel II' given on 20 April, Edgar Meister of the Deutsche Bundesbank said that a common goal that finance ministries, central banks and supervisory authorities are sharing is to enhance the stability of…
Fed's Roseman on developments in payment systems
In testimony on 'Recent developments in the payments system' given on 20 April, Louise Roseman of the Federal Reserve said the payments system in the United States is continuing to change and become increasingly efficient. However, the shift away from…
Fed's Ferguson on central banking in the US
In a speech on 'The evolution of central banking in the United States' given on 27 April, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that central banking practice adapts over time as markets evolve and this had been the Fed's experience and would likely…
Russian central bank to increase euro weighting
The Central Bank of Russia plans to increase the euro's weighting in its bi-currency basket to 0.3 soon, CB First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev told a press conference on Tuesday 26 April.
Buba's Weber says Q1 growth high
Bundesbank President Axel Weber said on Tuesday 26 April that Germany's economic growth in the first quarter was likely the "strongest" in the year, and is estimated to have posted "roughly about 0.5 pct" GDP growth.
High oil prices 'handicap' eurozone says Issing
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said on Tuesday 26 April that the high price of oil is a "handicap" to the euro zone economy.
PBOC sees three risks to China's banking system
Chinese banks continues to face three major kinds of risk, namely credit risk, performance risk and trans-business risk, according to Xiang Junbo, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China.
ECB report confirms reserve diversification plan
The European Central Bank confirmed in its annual report on Tuesday 26 April that it is working on significant changes to its foreign reserve management strategy that would allow diversification into different financial instruments.
BOJ's Fukui on the bank's Semiannual Report
In a speech given on 31 March (published 22 April), Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said that although Japan's economy is at a pause, it is expected to continue recovering with the further expansion of overseas economies and progress in adjustment…
Does excess liquidity pose a threat in Japan?
This IMF Discussion Paper examines the effects of quantitative easing implemented by the Bank of Japan since early 2001, looking specifically at the impact on inflation expectations and real asset prices.
Trichet on the euro: One currency, one market
In a speechon 'The euro: one currency, one financial market' given on 19 April, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said that inflation expectations for the dozen countries that use the euro are in line with the ECB's goal of keeping consumer price increases…
Fed's Ferguson on the US current account deficit
In the speech 'U.S. current account deficit: Causes and consequences' given on 20 April, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that America's current account deficit does not mean the world economy is doomed because its root is likely the…