Central Banking
Trichet says intervention is central bank 'weapon'
The Governing Council of the ECB decided to keep eurozone interest rates unchanged at its meeting on Thursday 2 December. Speaking at the post-meeting press conference ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said the euro's recent appreciation, which pushed…
China unlikely to revalue the yuan soon
Expectations for the revaluation of China's yuan have become a hot topic in and outside China since October. This article looks at the situation and includes recent comments from officials at the People's Bank of China and Premier Wen Jiabao.
U.S. rates have to rise further says Fed's Yellen
Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Fed said in a speech Wednesday many factors are restricting growth in the U.S. economy, creating "opportunities" for the Federal Reserve to pause from its path of steady rate increases.
Belgium against German plans on stability pact
In an interview published Thursday Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt voiced his opposition to German plans on how to reform the rules governing the euro.
Estonians to vote on euro coin design
Estonians will have a chance to decide the appearance of the national side of their euro coins by a week-long telephone vote, due to start this weekend, the Bank of Estonia said Thursday 2 December.
Brazil minister calls for relaxed monetary policy
Brazil's Development, Trade and Industry Minister Luiz Fernando Furlan criticised the central bank's conservative monetary policy and expressed concerns over the impact on the economy of the strengthening of the real against the dollar, AFX News said.
RBA Payments System Board Annual Report 2004
The Reserve Bank of Australia Payments System Board has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2004. Over the past couple of years the Board's work in relation to the safety and stability of the payments system has focussed on the development of…
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on financial integration
In a speech on 'Capital Markets and Financial Integration in Europe' given on 23 November, Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said market-led initiatives are vital to make further progress in integrating the funding instruments for mortgages.
SNB's Roth on the Swiss franc and euro
In a speech on the ' Swiss franc and euro: Two sister currencies?' given on 19 November Jean-Pierre Roth of the Swiss National Bank said the introduction of the euro in 1999 constituted a real revolution for Europe and represented arguably the major…
Second high-level central bank seminar in Rio
The Second High-Level Seminar of the Eurosystem and Latin American Central Banks took place on Friday 26 November in Rio de Janeiro. The Seminar was hosted by the Banco Central do Brasil and jointly organised together with the European Central Bank and…
Trichet testimony: Oil price to dampen growth
In testimony to the European Parliament given on 30 November Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB signalled that the bank is likely to lower its forecast for 2005 economic growth in the euro zone as the increase in oil prices impacts on consumer spending and…
No ECB comment on intervention talk
The European Central Bank declined to comment on reports coming out of Tokyo suggesting possible joint action with Japan on the foreign exchange market, AFX News said.
Arab states launch money laundering task force
Arab states agreed on Tuesday 30 November on the creation of the 14-member Middle East-North Africa Financial Action Task Force to work together to try to keep money out of the hands of terrorists.
Cape Verde considers adopting euro currency
Cape Verde is considering adopting the euro as its own currency, the prime minister of the west African island state, Cape Verde's Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves was quoted as saying by AFP.
Hungary's Central Bank Act returned to parliament
The President of Hungary, Ferenc Madl, failed to sign on Monday 29 November the modifications to the Central Bank Act passed by parliament last week, Interfax-Europe reports. Instead, the president sent the law back to parliament for further…
NBP chief: Ukraine situation not to affect Poland
The possible crisis of the Ukrainian economy caused by the tense political situation in that country will not harm the Polish economy, President of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) Leszek Balcerowicz told a press conference on Wednesday 1 December.
Biern on The Bank Secrecy Act & USA Patriot Act
In testimony 'The Bank Secrecy Act and the USA Patriot Act' given on 17 November Herbert Biern of the Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation said regulators believe that banking organizations have to take reasonable and prudent steps to combat…
ECB report on bond markets & interest rates
The European Central Bank published the third and extended edition of a report entitled "Bond markets and long-term interest rates in non-euro area Member States of the European Union and in accession countries" on 24 November.
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, October 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank's October 2004 Monthly Report said the stability of the German financial system has strengthened further since the end of last year. This was assisted, the report says, by the rapid brightening of the macroeconomic climate in the…
BoE's King says UK growth 'a little stronger'
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King told the Treasury Committee on Tuesday 30 November that economic growth in the UK will probably pick up in the fourth quarter and remain at a rate that will bolster inflation in the next two years.
OECD Economic Outlook, November 2004
The OECD's Economic Outlook for November 2004 reports that sharp rises in oil prices have slowed the global expansion, but barring further increases, the world's major economies should regain momentum in 2005.
Ukraine central bank introduces stability measures
The National Bank of Ukraine announced on Tuesday 30 November that it is forbidding commercial banks from making early deposit withdrawals and has set limits on cash and noncash foreign-currency transactions to preserve stability during the country's…
Meirelles says Brazil has sufficient reserves
The central bank of Brazil is in no rush to buy dollars because its foreign reserve level is sufficient, bank President Henrique Meirelles said.
Poland's PM says zloty may `kill' exports
Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka said in an interview that economic growth may slow because interest rates are at a 19-month high and a rising zloty threatens to "kill" exports.