Central Banking
Select Committee on Treasury Fourth Report
REPORT - The Treasury Committee has agreed to the following Report: Appointment to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England of Ms Marian Bell and Mr Paul Tucker, 24 May.
Two new faces on the Bank of England's MPC
FEATURE - In the auspicious oak panelled surroundings of Committee Room 16 at the Houses of Parliament the newest recruits to the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee were put through their paces by the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday…
Unthinkable that Bank should expect otherwise
LETTER - Sir, While esteeming the Bank of England's quarterly inflation report as "an impressive showcase for the Bank's latest thinking", Observer finds that "it can be a bit samey: the Bank predicts that inflation will be at or close to its target with…
Bank of England may face massive legal claim
UK - The Bank of England has admitted it faces claims of up to £872m from depositors of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International if it loses a landmark legal battle due to start next year.
MPC pay rise over inflation at Bank of England
UK - Members of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee saw their pay rise by more than inflation last year, thanks to the standard practice of uprating salaries in line with the government's inflation target. The Bank's annual report also casts…
Bank of Japan acts to halt yen rise
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan was ordered by the Ministry of Finance to intervene to weaken the yen for the second consecutive day yesterday as part of the government's drive to ensure that the country's fledgling economic recovery is given a chance to get…
NZ posts ads for inflation-busting central banker
NEW ZEALAND - Wanted: Central bank governor for buzzing South Pacific economy - previous inflation-taming experience an advantage.
Ignatyev: Enough reserves to defend ruble
RUSSIA - The Central Bank warned the market Thursday that it would not hesitate to dip into its growing pile of dollars to prevent any serious fall in the ruble and keep prices in check.
Stern sees signs business spending picking up
FEATURE - Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Gary Stern said on Thursday that business spending was starting to pick up and the U.S. economy is on track for moderate growth this year.
Germany's recession at an end
GERMANY - Economic growth has returned to Europe's biggest economy, Germany after six months of recession.
Fed's Moskow - lower trade barriers boost growth
US - U.S. policies that reduce barriers to trade will expand employment over the long term, boost incomes and add to economic growth, said Michael Moskow, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Thursday.
Fed's McTeer - US GDP growth slower in Q2 than Q1
US - Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert McTeer said on Thursday he expects U.S. gross domestic product to grow more slowly in the current quarter than in the first three months of the year.
Bank of England - Annual Report 2002
ANNUAL REPORT - The Bank of England has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2002.
Testimony of Fed Governor Mark Olson, 22 May
SPEECH - Mark Olson gives a speech titled 'The European Union's Financial Services Action Plan' to the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives.
Norges Bank keeps interest rates unchanged
NORWAY - Interest rates were left unchanged at Norges Bank's Executive Board meeting on 22 May. Norges Bank's key interest rate, the sight deposit rate, remains at 6.5%.
BoJ Monthly Report May 2002 - Full Version
REPORT - Full English translation of the Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments from the Bank of Japan, May 2002, released 23 May. It says: "The pace of deterioration in Japan's economy has moderated, with production starting to…
Speech by Mervyn King, Bank of England, 22 May
SPEECH - In a speech titled 'The Monetary Policy Committee Five Years On' delivered to the Society of Business Economists in London on 22 May, Mervyn King, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, ponders the role and record of the MPC. Why give the power…
President of Dutch cb introduces annual report
PRESS RELEASE - The President of De Nederlandsche Bank, Dr. A.H.E.M. Wellink, gives an introduction for a press conference on the bank's Annual Report 2001.
Speech by Dr Wellink, Nederlandsche Bank, 17 May
SPEECH - In a speech titled 'Monetary unions in Europe and the US - just how different are they?', given at the Institut International d'Etudes Bancaires, Amsterdam, Dr A.H.E.M. Wellink compares monetary policy in the euro area and in the US. He examines…
The effect of US interest rates on Hong Kong
RESEARCH - Hong Kong Monetary Authority has released a report on 'Macroeconomic Implications of US Interest Rates for Hong Kong'.
New York Fed's Economic Policy Review, Vol. 8
CONFERENCE - Proceedings of a conference on 'Financial Innovation and Monetary Transmission' sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, April 5 and 6, 2001. The overral finding is that financial innovation, the evolving behaviour of firms, and…
Wellink confident about global economy
NETHERLANDS - Dutch central bank president Nout Wellink believes the global economy is ripe for a recovery after a slowdown last year, although Japan's economy and the US current account deficit pose downside risks.
Rupee hits new low on war fears
INDIA - The rupee hit a new closing low against the dollar as war fears persisted and the Indian and Pakistani armies continued to trade fire across the border. The central bank did not intervene on Thursday.
BoJ may intervene again as yen continues to rise
JAPAN - The yen drifted higher in Asian trading Thursday, one day after the Bank of Japan intervened in the currency markets to stem the yen's surge. The central bank warns that it may step into the markets again to keep the yen from gaining too much…