Central Banking
Improvements to the Federal Reserve's website
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday 10 February announced a number of improvements to its website, including the capability to view and submit comments on regulatory proposals.
Philadelphia Fed Business Review, 1st Quarter 2004
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published its regular Business Review for the First Quarter 2004. In the latest issue President Anthony Santomero discusses how some extraordinary events, including the bursting of the tech bubble, the…
UAE to hold seminar on money laundering
Senior government officials and lawyers will gather at the UAE central bank on Saturday 14 February to discuss legal procedures against money laundering.
CBI, IDB to hold monetary conference in Tehran
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will hold their first international monetary conference next week between 16-18 February.
Argentina won't pay IMF without accord revisions
President Nestor Kirchner said on wednesday 11 February that the Argentine government would not use its reserves to make its next instalment of payments due to the IMF unless it first approves revisions to the accord.
BOK chief calls for more authority
Governor of the Bank of Korea Park Seung on Wednesday 11 February called for more authority to conduct independent on-site inspections of financial institutions.
Sweden's Heikensten on current monetary policy
In a speech on 'Monetary policy - some current issues' given on 10 February, Lars Heikensten of the Sveriges Riksbank said there are signs of an upturn in the euro area now, although the picture is not as clear-cut as in the United States.
What monetary regime for Iraq?
This article, co-authored by Professor Steve Hanke and Matt Sekerke, says that the choice of monetary regime for Iraq remains wide open despite measures to establish an independent central bank, framework for bank regulation, and Saddam-free bank notes.
Asian currencies may be linked to China's yuan
In an interview, Avinash Persaud said that people have tended to view Asia as being on a dollar peg when in reality it is, in his view, on a renminbi peg. He also said it was unlikely the Chinese would respond to criticism of their currency regime but…
Bank of England Inflation Report, February 2004
In its latest Inflation Report, the Bank of England revised upwards its growth forecast over the next two years, saying the risks to the overall outlook were broadly even. Mervyn King told a news conference that inflation was expected to rise steadily to…
Russian for ex intervention hits record $3bn
The central bank of Russia spent a record $3 billion on Tuesday 10 february to hold down the ruble. The intervention represented the biggest foreign-exchange intervention in Russia's history.
EU regulators to redraft settlement standards
European financial regulators are to soften proposed new standards on clearing and settlement after fierce lobbying and sustained criticism from banks and industry bodies.
ECB board member says euro rates appropriate
In a speech on Tuesday 10 February, European Central Bank executive board member Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell said the ECB is not currently considering a cut in rates and that despite the euro's rise growth predictions remain the same.
Zhou: China's 'stable and healthy' monetary policy
People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said on Tuesday 10 February that China will allow its money supply and credit loans to keep growing at an appropriate pace in 2004.
Greenspan sees vigorous growth, warns on deficit
In testimony on Wednesday 11 February, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy has good odds for sustained robust growth, but that policy-makers can be patient about interest-rate rises. He warned there could be problems "in the relatively near…
Wounded Bosnia heals with NZ money policy
Want evidence that New Zealand's general approach to monetary policy works whatever the environment? In this article Peter Nicholl, governor of the central bank of Bosnia, says a main ingredient of good central bank law is operational independence and…
Jenkins on economic confidence in Canada
In a speech on 'Economic Confidence and the Work of the Bank of Canada' given on 9 February, Paul Jenkins of the Bank of Canada discusses two of the Bank's key functions that help to reinforce confidence in Canada's economy: the issuance of bank notes…
Call for new central bank rules in Syria
This article looks at what it calls the 'erratic' actions of the central bank of Syria in its interest rate setting policy. It calls for the introduction of new rules and practices into the system to regain confidence.
Argentina holds 'constructive' IMF talks
Argentina's Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna described talks with IMF chief Horst Koehler on Monday as constructive but said there was no change in its offer to repay its defaulted debt at 25 cents on the dollar.
RBI governor to lead market surveillance panel
The Reserve Bank of India has formed a high power committee headed by the governor for integrated market surveillance and alert systems. The committee is to strengthen market supervision and monitoring.
Euro rate not major target for ECB says Issing
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said that the euro foreign exchange rate is not a major target of the ECB's monetary policy strategies but does play an important role in the assessment of price risk.
Russia not to vary currency policy after G7 meet
Russian Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Oleg Vyugin said on Monday 9 February that the bank saw no reason to change its currency policy following last weekend's Florida meeting of the Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors.
Diplomatic fudge will not get best people for ECB
This article considers who will replace Eugenio Domingo Solans on the ECB's Executive Board. His successor must be chosen on the basis of competence only, it says, but warns that "horse trading" could be a more important factor in the choice.
Interview with Czech National Bank's Zdenek Tuma
In excerpts from an interview from the February issue of Central Banking journal, published Monday February 9, the governor of the Czech National Bank discusses his concerns for the process and timing of joining the euro and outlines how he sees European…