Central Banking
Pace of Japanese deflation steadies
Japanese goods fell on average by 2 per cent in 2002, as the country's three-year deflation run continues.
Irish inflation reaches 5%
Irish inflation, already twice the European Union average, rose to 5 per cent in December, its highest level in 18 months.
Pianalto to sit in for Jordan at January FOMC
Sandra Pianalto, who assumes the presidency at the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank on 1 February, will sit in for departing President Jerry Jordan at the Fed's 28-29 January policy meeting, a spokeswoman at the bank said.
Fed's Parry-reason for uncertainty on U.S. economy
San Francisco Federal Reserve President Robert Parry said on Friday the threat of war with Iraq and the risk of terror attacks have created much uncertainty about the U.S. economic recovery.
BoJ hopeful introduces radical reflation proposal
With the name of the new governor of the Bank of Japan to be announced soon the battle is hotting up. On Sunday one of the favourites to land the job, Nobuyuki Nakahara, said the central bank should directly finance the government by Y5,000bn-Y10,000bn (…
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William J. McDonough announces intent to retire, 16 January.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Dec 2002
REPORT - Growth in the region's manufacturing sector remains sluggish, according to firms surveyed for the December 2002 Business Outlook Survey. Although indexes for general activity and new orders remained positive for the second consecutive month,…
Federal Reserve Board Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Statement by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, 16 January.
Backstrom on Financial Cycles
SPEECH - In the speech 'Financial Cycles' Urban Backstrom of Sweden's central bank said financial crises substantially increase the risk of outright deflation after some time. A central bank could manage this risk in two ways: by at least trying to…
Gjedrem on monetary policy and the economy
SPEECH - In the speech 'Monetary policy and the economic situation' Svein Gjedrem of Norges Bank said the global fall in equity prices has also spread to the Norwegian stockmarket and spoke of "a close relationship" between equity prices in the US and in…
Dodge on Staying the Course
SPEECH - In the speech 'Staying the Course' David Dodge of the Bank of Canada said the current uncertainties will dissipate, and stronger growth will resume, provided we continue to pursue sound macro, trade, and structural policies. What is important is…
Santomero on The Economic Outlook
SPEECH - In the speech 'The Economic Outlook - Technology on the Horizon' Anthony Santomero of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said he expects 2003 to be a transition year for the national economy on the path to sustained expansion. Stimulative…
Bank of Israel accused of generating instability
Israel's Ministry of Finance on Thursday launched a fierce attack on the Bank of Israel, saying the central bank had failed to meet inflation targets and at times had a destabilising effect on the market.
Mboweni delivers the bad news about rates
A warning by the South African Reserve Bank against hopes of an early interest rate cut was a timely signal to quell over-optimism in the market, economists said on Friday.
No way to run the world's biggest economy
ARTICLE - The article says that the US economy needs a sizeable short-term stimulus to prevent deflation. While the Federal Reserve has led the way, the chronic shortage of saving in the US has reduced policy options, including the possibility of tax…
World Bank backs Japan inflation targeting
James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, said on Thursday that it was sensible for Japan to use monetary policy to reverse deflation, amid debate among Japanese policymakers about the introduction of an inflation target. Outgoing BoJ governor…
Broaddus sees recovery continuing in 2003
Richmond Federal Reserve President Alfred Broaddus on Thursday said he saw the U.S. recovery rolling ahead this year, while cautioning that risks still lurked, such as a long war with Iraq and the seven-week-old Venezuelan workers' strike.
G7 postpones 2-day meeting in Paris
The Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central bank chiefs have postponed a two-day meeting in Paris scheduled to open 31 January, France's finance ministry said Thursday.
Nigeria: IMF won't derail African single currency
Nigeria on Thursday reacted sharply to criticism by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the proposed single currency for the West African sub-region, warning that no amount of blackmail would stop the project. CentralBankNet reported the IMF…
Argentina clinches IMF debt rollover deal
Argentina clinched a watershed debt rollover deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday after a year of tortuous negotiations, gaining breathing space to find a way out of its worst ever financial crisis.
New York Federal Reserve president is retiring
New York Federal Reserve President William McDonough will retire on 21 July, the New York Fed said Thursday, after a decade as one of the most senior policy-makers at the U.S. central bank.
Ireland may seek seat at ECB top table
Ireland is likely to pitch for a seat on the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB) when a vacancy arises at the end of May.
Yugoslavia's Dinkic satisfied on central bank deal
Yugoslav National Bank (NBJ) Governor Mladjan Dinkic said Thursday that he was satisfied with the solution passed by the constitutional commission last night that the NBJ should become the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) on the day the constitutional…
UK Treasury Committee - Review inflation targeting
The UK's House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on Thursday criticised Chancellor Gordon Brown's economic policy and suggested a review of the Bank of England's inflation target.