Central Banking
Argentine ex-minister arrested
ARGENTINA - The former Argentine economy minister, Domingo Cavallo, has been arrested in connection with illegal arms sales to Croatia and Ecuador in the 1990s.
SNB sell 4.1 metric tons of gold in latest 10 days
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss National Bank sold 4.1 metric tons of gold in the latest 10-day reporting period ended March 28, the central bank's regular statistical report showed Tuesday.
Vietnam cuts banks' reserve requirement to 8 pct
VIETNAM - Vietnam's central bank said on Tuesday it had cut the level of reserves banks must maintain for foreign currency deposits to eight percent from 10 percent.
Hayami - Financial system conditions remain severe
JAPAN - The condition of the Japanese financial system remains severe and the Bank of Japan will do its utmost to ensure financial stability, BOJ governor Masaru Hayami said Tuesday.
Banjul joins single currency
GAMBIA - The Gambia has joined five other countries in the West African sub-region in the introduction of a single currency, the West Africa Second Monetary Zone ( WAMZ).
Portugal has budget woes, not crisis - c bank
PORTUGAL - Portugal's Central Bank Governor Vitor Constancio said on Monday the country was facing budget problems as its deficit widened but not an economic crisis.
Bulgarian nat bank to tighten bank system control
BULGARIA - The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will closely monitor the small shareholders in Bulgarian banks, which acquire stakes of over 3.0 pct, according to Banking Act amendments, reports Bulgarian News Digest.
PBOC challenged on conflict in supervisory role
CHINA - A fierce debate is raging within the Chinese Government over whether to remove from the central bank its role as supervisor of the banks and set up a new organisation that would do a better job.
Market-based monetary management in Pakistan
ARTICLE - In the late 1980s the developing countries were attracted to the growing importance of International Monetary Fund's Stabilisation Programme and the World Bank's Structural Financial Adjustment Programme to carry out the desired market-oriented…
Czech Senate okay c bank law on meeting EU needs
CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Czech National Bank (CNB) bill which brings the legislation into line with European Union requirements.
Bank of Japan Tankan Report
REPORT - Bank of Japan Tankan Report, published 2 April 2002.
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Compendium Collection of legal instruments, 28 March.
Speech by Anne Krueger of the IMF, 1 Apr
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'New Approaches to Sovereign Debt Restructuring: An Update on Our Thinking' Krueger said "Under the approach I have in mind, the essential decision-making power would be vested in the debtor and a supermajority of its…
Speech by Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, 2 Mar
SPEECH - Dr Ishrat Hussain, Governor of State Bank, delivered his keynote address at the 51st annual general meeting and prize award ceremony of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan. The address was titled 'Strategy for External Debt Management 1999 - 2004'.
IMF dilutes its role in int'l bankruptcy plan
US - The International Monetary Fund on Monday amended its proposal for developing a system to allow troubled countries to file for bankruptcy protection to give it a smaller role than creditors.
Argentina pleads for new aid
ARGENTINA - A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has arrived in Argentina to weigh up whether to grant the stricken country fresh aid.
Japan's tankan survey shows economy nearing upturn
JAPAN - Corporate confidence in Japan stopped falling for the first time in five quarters in March but was still weak, a widely watched central bank survey showed on Monday, pointing to a modest economic rebound from June.
Tokyo, Beijing sign currency-swap deal
JAPAN - The Japanese government signed a currency-swap agreement with China on 28 March.
Speech by David Dodge of Bank of Canada, 26 Mar
SPEECH - In his most recent speech titled 'The Conduct of Monetary Policy in the Presence of Economic Shocks' Dodge touted the importance of core inflation as a wind vane for monetary policy, but offered few clues on the bank's stance on interest rates.
Bank of England External MPC Members' Papers
RESEARCH - Too Much Too Soon: Instability and Indeterminacy with Forward-Looking Rules by Nicoletta Batini and Joseph Pearlman, Discussion Paper No.8, March 2002.
Speech by Fed Reserve Governor Mark Olson, 26 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Career Development in a Changing Economy' Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson predicted the U.S. economy will soon see a renaissance of long-term productivity and production growth.
Speech by Otmar Issing of the ECB, 26 Mar
SPEECH - Issing said in a speech titled 'The role of monetary policy in managing economic risks' that he did not currently see any threats to the inflation outlook in the euro zone, but said on balance the risks are to the upside.
Speech by Paul Jenkins, Bank of Canada, 20 Mar
SPEECH - The speech was titled 'Global Economic and Financial Trends: Implications for Canadian Monetary Policy'. In the speech Jenkins took aim at the argument that the weak Canadian dollar reduces productivity growth.
Payments System Board Annual Report 2001
REPORT - The Reserve Bank of Australia's Payments System Board Annual Report 2001 was issued on 28 March.