Central Banking
Egypt calls for aid
EGYPT - Egypt is to ask international donors for financial support of $2.5bn to help it plug the gap in the country's accounts.
Japan shares hit 18-year low
JAPAN - Japan's shares have slumped to a new 18-year low.
Afghanistan's accounting nightmare
FEATURE - Deep in the vaults of Afghanistan's central bank is what looks like a mountain of money - bundles of notes piled as high as a man fill a small room.
Afghan currency 'expected to stabilise'
AFGHANISTAN - The Afghan currency, the Afghani, has seen huge changes in value over the last few months.
IMF approves $16bn for Turkey
TURKEY - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $16bn economic package for Turkey, the third major aid program for Ankara in under two years.
Turkey - Letter of Intent
NEWS - The following item is a Letter of Intent of the government of Turkey, which describes the policies that Turkey intends to implement in the context of its request for financial support from the IMF.
IMF Press Release, 4 February
PRESS RELEASE - IMF Managing Director Sees Impressive Commitment by Turkey to Economic Reforms; Executive Board Approves US$16 Billion Stand-By Credit.
Czech Havel meets Niedermayer on his cbank post
CZECH REPUBLIC - Czech President Vaclav Havel met central bank (CNB) Vice-Governor Ludek Niedermayer late on Monday to discuss his future on the bank's policy-setting board, Havel's spokesman said on Tuesday.
China to open banking sector as promised
CHINA - China will keep its promise to gradually open up its banking sector in accordance with the timetable set in the WTO agreement, said Chinese central bank governor.
Poland deploys technology in reserve management
POLAND - Trema today announced that the National Bank of Poland has selected Finance KIT, Trema's straight-through processing treasury, risk and asset management solution, to automate its reserve management in preparation for Economic and Monetary Union…
Mexico - No rift with ctrl bk over power rate hike
MEXICO - There is "no rift at all" between the Mexican finance ministry and the central bank, following the government's decision to raise electricity prices, a move that Bank of Mexico Governor Guillermo Ortiz has dubbed inflationary, Finance Minister…
ECB Press Release - Central Banking Conference
PRESS RELEASE - Second ECB Central Banking Conference, "The transformation of the European financial system", released 4 February 2002.
Speech by Senior Minister from Singapore gov't
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Disclosure and corporate governance - Challenges in Moving Ahead' Shanmugaratnam said "We have made good progress in the four years since we embarked on a shift towards disclosure-based regulation. Our listed companies have…
Speech by Joseph Yam of the HKMA
SPEECH - The speech by Yam titled 'Briefing to the Legislative Council Panel on Financial Affairs' was divided into four topics currency, banking, financial infrastructure, exchange fund.
Speech by Antonio Fazio Governor Bank of Italy
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Recovery and growth of the Italian economy' Fazio said that the Bank of Italy expects economic growth in the European Union to slow to 1.5 percent in 2002 from 1.7 percent last year. But that EU growth was likely to recover…
St Louis Fed report, Central Banker, Winter 2001
REPORT - Fed Releases Comprehensive Retail Payments Study, reports the Winter 2001 edition of the St Louis Fed's Central Banker.
Argentina unveils crisis package
ARGENTINA - Argentina's latest move to end the country's worst economic crisis in decades has been welcomed by observers, eager to see a return to normality.
Koizumi rejoins battle for reform
JAPAN - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has promised to forge ahead with painful reforms to revive the economy despite a sudden drop in his popularity.
Global economy 'recovering'
US - The head of the International Monetary Fund has told a meeting of the World Economic Forum in New York that he believes the world's economy is heading for recovery.
Poorer states urge economic solidarity
US - At last year's gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, there was acknowledgment the global economy stood on the brink of recession.
EU heads of state to decide next no. 2 at ECB
FRANCE - French finance minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday that the issue of who replaces European Central Bank Vice President Christian Noyer at the end of May is a matter for European Union heads of state to decide.
Venezuela's Chavez denies problems banking system
VENEZUELA - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Sunday declared the financial industry solid and healthy after rumours that Venezuela's largest private-sector bank, Banco Provincial, was about to be subjected to intervention by the central bank due to…
Latvia central bank's president nominates deputy
LATVIA - Bank of Latvia president Ilmars Rimsevics has nominated as his deputy Andris Ruselis, the vice-president of Balta and Latva insurance companies, reported the Latvian parliament press service.
China delegates arrive for key financial summit
CHINA - Delegates began arriving Monday at the Great Hall of the People for a crucial policy meeting that will set the financial system reform agenda for the next five years.