Central Banking
Poole on Self-Regulation in Pension Systems
In a speech on 'The Role of Self-Regulation and Voluntary Compliance Incentives in the Design of Pension Systems' William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said the United States does not have a perfect pension system. Indeed, the system…
RBA, Council of Financial Regulators Annual Report
The 2002 Council of Financial Regulators' Annual Report was released by the Reserve Bank of Australia, 25 September. The powerful Council of Financial Regulators - made up of the Reserve Bank, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and the…
Swiss Nat Bank to sell 284 tonnes gold by Sep 2004
The Swiss National Bank said on Friday 26 September that it plans to sell 284 tonnes of gold from excess reserves by the end of September 2004 and aims to offload another 130 tonnes in 2005, according to a report by Reuters.
San Francisco Fed's Parry to retire in June
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Robert Parry is to retire in June 2004, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. No successor was named to Parry, who turns 65 in May, but the bank said that it has begun a nationwide search for a…
Russian central bank awards accountancy contract
The central bank of Russia has awarded a contract to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Reuters reports. The aim of the project, led by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, is to increase the efficiency of the Russian central bank through the…
Brazil's cen bank: Economy showing recovery signs
The Banco Central do Brasil has said that the economy is showing signs of recovery and that they now view inflation as a lesser of the threats to the country's economy, according to MENAFN.
Fake Polish euros on sale on the internet
Fake sets of "collectors'" Polish euro coins are being sold on the internet, according to AFP. The "sample Polish Euros" were quickly dismissed by the National Bank of Poland who pointed out that it did not distribute such coins.
Banco Filipino sues BSP
The Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank plans to sue the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and its Monetary Board for damages, according to the Manila Times. In a statement on Thursday 25 September, Banco Filipino said it filed the case because the…
Outgoing Duisenberg gets the hump in Dubai
With the IMF and World Bank annual meetings at an end, this article from Bloomberg News reflects on the Dubai gathering's less formal proceedings. Caviar, foie gras, lobster and belly-dancing were on the menu while Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio…
Taiwan adopt 'managed float' for dynamic stability
The central bank of China, Taiwan will adopt a "managed float" policy towards the foreign exchange market, according to AFX Asia, and has said it is, in principle, ready to allow market forces to determine the exchange rate.
Venezuela c bank wary of overseas credit card use
The central bank of Venezuela has said it has no immediate plans to authorise the use of local credit cards abroad due to abuses that have previously taken place, according to Business News Americas. The country's foreign exchange commission Cadivi will…
Fukui at the 2003 World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting
In a speech to the 2003 World Bank-IMF Annual Meeting given on 23 September Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said that more than six years have passed since the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis. He welcomed the progress that the World Bank and…
Information acquisition & decisions in committees
This ECB Working Paper is a survey of the recent game theoretic literature on committee decision making. It considers theoretical work on the role of (i) strategic voting, (ii) costly information acquisition, (iii) conflicting interests, and (iv)…
Bergstrom: Monetary policy stays in Riksbank hands
Deputy Governor of the Sveriges Riksbank Villy Bergstrom took part in a panel debate organised by Skanes provinsbank in Helsingborg on 23 September. Subjects under discussion included the role of the Riksbank following the referendum and current economic…
Monetary developments in the euro area
The ECB's "Monetary developments in the euro area" published on 25 September reveals the annual rate of growth of M3 decreased to 8.2% in August, from 8.6% in July 2003 (revised upwards from 8.5%).
Fed's Kohn on Productivity and Monetary Policy
In a speech on 'Productivity and Monetary Policy' given on 24 September Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said our challenge as economists and policymakers remains to analyse ongoing developments and to judge the likely course of productivity and…
Duguay: Monetary policy supports Canada's economy
In a speech 'How monetary policy supports Canada's economy' given on 24 September Pierre Duguay of the Bank of Canada reviewed the recent record of the Canadian and U.S. economies and discusses the role of monetary policy. He suggests that the protracted…
Kohn says economy not strong enough to boost jobs
Fed Governor Donald Kohn said on Wednesday 24 September "it will be a while before we can be sure that a self-sustaining expansion is underway of sufficient strength and persistence to put the economy back on a path toward full employment", Reuters…
Duisenberg praises US-style labour reforms
Wim Duisenberg told the European Parliament on Thursday 25 September that to increase employment the EU must become more flexible. He compared the US labour market with that of Europe, saying "clearly they are doing better than us".
Cavallo blames the IMF for Argentine crisis
Former Argentine Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo has blamed the IMF's policies for Argentina's devaluation and subsequent debt default, according to Merco Press. In an interview Cavallo argued that it would had been more beneficial "if the IMF had…
Former Bank of Ghana chief to head disaster fund
John Saka Addo, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, is to act as chairman for the Accra Sports Stadium Disaster Relief Trust, according to the Accra Mail. The Trust will provide funds to educate the children of the 128 soccer fans who died in the Accra…
SARB appoints Kruger as registrar of banks
Errol Kruger will replace Christo Wiese as registrar of banks in South Africa from 1 October, Dow Jones reports. As registrar, Kruger will be responsible for ensuring the soundness of banks and banking groups registered in South Africa.
African bank supervisors agree to up co-ordination
In efforts to harmonise supervisory practices, the Accra Mail reports, delegates from member countries at the Ninth Annual Meeting of Banking Supervisors from West and Central Africa agreed to forward their prudential regulations, current banking laws…
Fed's Poole says US econ prospects superb
St Louis Fed president William Poole said on Wednesday 24 September, according to Reuters, "I am optimistic about the U.S. economy. The recent performance of productivity has been stunning." Asked if he feared an impact on the market for U.S. Treasury…