Central Banking
Bank Indonesia and govt to resolve loan dispute
INDONESIA - Bank Indonesia is close to putting an end to a dispute with the government which has continued for two years. A final agreement has yet to be reached to this problem which is rooted in the billions of dollars in liquidity support channeled to…
Chinese currency now convertible in Nepal
NEPAL - Nepal Rastra Bank for the first time today fixed its exchange rate at nine rupees to one Chinese yuan. Governor Dr Tilak Rawal and Chinese Ambassador Wu Congyong signed the free convertibility accord on Monday.
Venezuela widens fiscal deficit target to 3% GDP
VENEZUELA - Central bank chairman Domingo Maza Zavala has announced that the government has widened its 2002 fiscal deficit target to 3% of GDP from 2.7% due to lower than expected tax receipts.
Quaden warns of Belgian budget deficit in 2003
BELGIUM - Guy Quaden, governor of the Belgian National Bank, has warned that Belgium may return to a budget deficit next year if the government eases spending controls to help it win elections: "In 2003, I will be very vigilant not only about inflation…
Lars Heikensten new Governor at Riksbank
PRESS RELEASE - The General Council of the Riksbank were today unanimous in their appointment of Lars Heikensten as new Governor of the Riksbank to succeed Urban Backstrom. Heikensten was appointed for a period of six years with effect from 1 January…
ECB Monthly Bulletin, June 2002
REPORT - The European Central Bank has issued its Monthly Bulletin for June 2002.
Swiss National Bank - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Swiss National Bank has issued its annual report for 2001.
Central Bank of Ireland - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Central Bank of Ireland has issued its annual report for 2001.
Is It Possible to Predict the Future?
ARTICLE - William Poole, president of the St Louis Fed, has given his opinion on economic forecasting in an article called 'Is It Possible to Predict the Future?'
Nigerian cb under investigation for fraud
NIGERIA - The Central Bank of Nigeria is under investigation for all the cases of fraud, corruption and mismanagement levelled against it and the banking system following an order by the House of Representatives.
Korea's reserves continue to grow
KOREA - Bank of Korea governor Park Seung said yesterday that the central bank expects the nation to become the world's fourth largest holder of foreign reserves by the end of the year. The central bank will therefore continue to increase the level of…
Japan's recession is coming to an end says Hayami
JAPAN - Bank of Japan governor Masaru Hayami said on Friday that the recession which started 20 months ago is coming to an end, adding that he was watching the impact of strong exports and output on the country's non-manufacturers and households.
Cautious optimism on recovery from Fed's Ferguson
SWEDEN - Federal Reserve Board vice-chairman Roger Ferguson delivered a buoyant appraisal of the US economy in an interview published in Swedish newspaper on Friday. "I am cautiously optimistic about the US cyclical development. A recovery is on its way…
China's cb says reform needed in commercial banks
CHINA - The governor of the People's Bank of China, Dai Xianglong, has reiterated the need for Chinese state-owned commercial banks to reform their management and risk control practices. He said the banks need to develop and implement business plans that…
Brazil lands $10bn loan from IMF
BRAZIL - After nearly a week of falling currency, stock and bond markets, Brazilian central bank president Armenio Fraga and finance minister Pedro Malan announced that the country would tap into $10 billion of IMF loans. The World Bank also joined in…
Bank of England Working Paper No 156
RESEARCH - Bank of England working paper on 'Equilibrium exchange rates and supply-side performance' by Gianluca Benigno and Christoph Thoenissen.
Why the Fed should ignore the stock market
ARTICLE - Opinion from James B. Bullard and Charles M. Hokayem of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis argue the Fed should not react to equity price developments because it would be 'similar to looking in a mirror', saying that such a policy would only…
Central Bank of Turkey - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey has posted its annual report for 2001 onto its website today.
IMF Quarterly Global Financial Stability Report
REPORT - The IMF has published its Global Financial Stability Report on market developments and issues for June 2002. It provides quarterly assessments of global financial markets and addresses emerging market financing in a global context. A transcript…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, June 2002
REPORT - The Bank of Japan has published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments for June 2002. The full English translation will be available on June 14.
Speech Wim Duisenberg, ECB president, 13 June
SPEECH - In a speech on 'The euro as a catalyst for integration and competition in EMU', Wim Duisenberg talks about the link between European integration and the euro, explaining the need for further structural reforms and their importance for the smooth…
Federal Reserve Beige Book, June 2002
REPORT - The Federal Reserve has issued the Beige Book for June, which states that overall economic activity expanded at a moderate pace in late April and May. The tone was one of modest but uneven growth, with some major sectors showing signs of…
Thai cb to share massive debt burden
THAILAND - The central bank is set to share responsibilty with the government for the bonds issued to cover losses for the state's financial rescue fund. Sommai Phasee, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, made the announcement today in…
No threat to cb independence says Polish president
POLAND - Alexander Kwansniewski, the president of Poland, in suporting anammendment to bring the bank act in to line with EU standards, offeredreasurrance over the National Bank's independence: "I cannot see any threats to the independence of the central…