Central Banking
Cen bank dollar-buying boosts Thailand's reserves
THAILAND - Thailand's foreign reserves jumped by nearly 2% to a five-year high last week, official data showed on Friday, as the country's central bank bought dollars to slow a rise in the Thai currency.
Indian banks to fortify risk management systems
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the commercial banks in the country not to depend entirely on the certificates issued by the chartered accountants on the financial health of corporate borrowers.
SA experts - Inflation targeting needs propagation
SOUTH AFRICA - While the Reserve Bank's inflation targeting is an appropriate and essential programme, it still is in need of more public knowledge and communication among the majority of South Africans, a gathering of professionals decided on Friday.
UAE central bank profits fall
UAE - A steep decline in interest rates slashed the net profits of the UAE central bank by nearly a third in 2001, reports Gulf News, but its deposits with other banks almost doubled, its balance sheet showed.
RBI - Efforts needed to safeguard information
INDIA - The provision of adequate security has assumed urgency in banks and continuous and concerted efforts have to be made to safeguard information and information systems, the Reserve Bank of India's Deputy Governor, Vepa Kamesan, said Saturday.
Trichet affair could hurt euro, says EC president
GERMANY - European Commission president Romano Prodi said in a newspaper interview Saturday that the legal problems of French Central Bank Governor Jean-Claude Trichet, tipped to become the next head of the European Central Bank (ECB), could pose a…
Bulgarian National Bank - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Bulgarian National Bank has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2001.
C Bank of Trinidad and Tobago - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2001.
Minutes of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting
MINUTES - Minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting on 11 and 12 June 2002, released 19 July. A few members remarked that the Bank should make clear its intention to continue the current monetary easing stance because it was important to…
Fear and Loathing of Central Banks in America
RESEARCH - Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, by Michael Bryan and Bruce Champ, June 2002. In the paper the author's call the Federal Reserve "America's uneasy compromise between our wariness of concentrated financial power and our…
Canada auditors get new monitor
CANADA - Canadian securities regulators and accountants have formed a new body to address investors' lack of confidence in financial statements.
New governor - Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago has a new governor. Ewart S. Williams has been appointed Governor of the Central Bank for a period of five years starting 17 July. He replaces Governor Winston Dookeran who completed his term…
BOJ head sees few reasons for further dollar fall
JAPAN - Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami said on Friday that the dollar, whose weakness against the yen has alarmed Japanese authorities, did not have much reason to fall further.
Increase in money returned by Pakistani's abroad
PAKISTAN - Remittances from Pakistanis living overseas more than doubled in the financial year that ended last month - their most robust growth for years, the State Bank of Pakistan said on Thursday.
Argentine rescue
FEATURE - Next week, four wise men are off to Buenos Aires. Their mission is to help Argentina's government and the International Monetary Fund to reach agreement on a programme of economic recovery. If they are to succeed, they must inject a sense of…
Prosecutors confirm no appeal on Trichet
FRANCE - The Paris prosecutor's office has confirmed that it will not appeal a summons issued to Jean-Claude Trichet, governor of Banque de France, to appear in court on charges of complicity in false accounting.
MAS says recession is officially "over"
SINGAPORE - Singapore's worst and longest recession is over. The shrinkage actually ended abruptly on 31 December, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said Thursday.
French farce
ARTICLE - Jean-Claude Trichet faces new obstacles in his quest to head the ECB. Whoever said central banking was dull? asks the Economist, 18 July.
MAS Monetary Policy Statement
STATEMENT - Monetary Authority of Singapore, Monetary Policy Statement, 11 July.
Speech by DPM Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore, 15 July
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Best practices in insurance regulation' Loong said that "MAS will continue to work together with the insurance industry to achieve international best practices and standards. Over the past two years, MAS has worked hard to…
Reserve Bank of Australia - Bulletin, July 2002
REPORT - On 18 July the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) published its July 2002 Bulletin. In the Bulletin the RBA says that over the past five years, there has been a sustained rise in house prices in most major cities in Australia. Some part of this…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, July 2002
REPORT - On 18 July the Bank of Japan published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, July 2002. In the report the BOJ says that Japan's economy, despite continued weakness in domestic demand, has almost stabilized as a whole…
Bank of England News Release, 18 July
NEWS RELEASE - The Bank of England plans to resume issuing the new Elizabeth Fry £5 note in the week commencing 19 August.
UK Treasury criticised over Bank of England posts
UK - The Treasury has been rebuked for failing to follow proper procedures for appointments to the Bank of England's governing body.