Central Banking
RBNZ re-appoints two directors
Two non-executive directors, Alison Paterson and John Goulter, have been re-appointed to the board of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand for a further five years, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said this week.
Japan's lower house approves new BOJ board member
Japan's lower house of parliament has approved the nomination of Atsushi Mizuno, chief strategist at Credit Suisse First Boston Securities (Japan) Ltd., as a Bank of Japan policy maker.
'Serial crime' wave hits Bank of Japan
The Bank of Japan has reprimanded five employees at its Maebashi branch office for swapping 11 old banknotes for 11 newly designed banknotes with sought-after serial numbers, such as E888888M.
Fukui on the state of Japan's economy
In a statement concerning the Bank's Semiannual Report on Currency and Monetary Control given on 28 October (published 26 Nov) Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said Japan's economy is expected to continue recovering with the ongoing expansion of…
Bank of Canada Review, Autumn 2004
The Bank of Canada has published its Review for Autumn 2004. The Review contains four articles including "Asset prices and monetary policy: A Canadian perspective on the issues". This article addresses the extent to which monetary policy in Canada should…
BoE's Bean on the UK economy
In a speech given on 25 November, Charles Bean of the Bank of England said considerable uncertainties surround the UK economic outlook.
Ukraine's Yushchenko appeals rigged election
Ukraine's opposition leader and former president of the National Bank of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, is appealing against the vote count in the recent presidential election to the country's Supreme Court.
Italy's Fazio on regulation and supervision
In a speech on 'Regulation and supervision in financial markets' given on 19 November, Antonio Fazio of the Bank of Italy said the economy of the euro area is afflicted by a loss of competitiveness that reflects structural weaknesses in several fields.
Ukraine banking system running like 'Swiss watch'
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the acting governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), has said the NBU is in full control of the Ukrainian banking system.
Bosnia appoints new central bank vice governor
The Governing Board of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH) at its meeting on 24 November in Sarajevo approved the appointment of Feriha Imamovi as a Vice Governor of the CBBH.
Trichet praises ECB's record on inflation
In a letter to the European Parliament, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said that the ECB has a very successful record of keeping euro zone inflation under control despite adverse shocks such as the recent hike in oil prices.
GCC summit focus on common market, single currency
The annual summit of the GCC scheduled to be held in Manama on 20 December will cover topics including the GCC common market, monetary union and a single currency, Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah, secretary-general of the six-member group said.
RBA uses powers to withhold minutes
The Reserve Bank of Australia has used powers given to it by Treasurer Peter Costello to issue a "conclusive certificate" to prevent publication of the RBA board's minutes, saying their release is not in the public interest.
Colombia's central bank appoints new MD
The board of Colombia's central bank has selected Jose Dario Uribe, the bank's technical director, as the new managing director of the bank, according to a statement released by the bank.
Mexico's central bank tightens monetary policy
The Bank of Mexico tightened monetary policy for the eighth time this year on Friday, raising local interest rates to counter increased inflation expectations.
Rimsevics on Latvia's strategy for euro transition
In a speech on 'The Latvian strategy for the euro transition' given on 25 October, Ilmars Rimsevics of the Bank of Latvia said since Latvia's accession to the European Union one of the main tasks shared by the Bank of Latvia and other state institutions…
Panels studying GCC monetary union criteria
The governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency said that technical committees in the Gulf countries are currently studying the criteria for monetary and financial convergence and the legislative and institutional frameworks and arrangements for the monetary…
Bergo on cyclical developments and monetary policy
In a speech on 'Cyclical developments and monetary policy' given on 10 November, Jarle Bergo of Norges Bank said reports from Norges Bank's regional network confirm the picture of an expanding economy.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Oct 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) for October 2004 was published on 23 November. The CFNAI was +0.52 in October, up sharply from -0.04 in September. For the first time since March, all four of the broad categories of indicators that…
BoJ monetary policy meeting minutes12/13 October
The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its 12 and 13 October Monetary Policy meeting on 24 November. The minutes indicated that one member urged the central bank to get prepared to shift from the present monetary policy framework of quantitative…
Bundesbank's Weber on stability and growth
In a speech on 'Stability and growth' given on 19 November, Axel Weber of the Deutsche Bundesbank said stability and growth go hand in hand. The Lisbon agenda and the Stability and Growth Pact complement each other in lifting the EU's growth potential…
IMF praises Armenian central bank's tough policy
The IMF accepts and completely supports the tough monetary and credit policy of the Armenian central bank to contain inflation rate in the country, James McHugh, the IMF's resident representative in Armenia, has told Arminfo news agency.
Japan's deflation may not end in 2005 says Haru
Bank of Japan policy maker Hidehiko Haru said on Thursday 25 November that Japan's deflation may not end in the fiscal year that starts April 1, 2005, possibly forcing the Bank of Japan to maintain its zero-rate policy the following year and beyond.
Hungary's Jarai sceptical of 2010 euro accession
The president of the Hungarian central bank, Zsigmond Jarai, said on Thursday 25 November that a persistently high public deficit could ruin Hungary's chances of joining the eurozone by 2010.