Central Banking
RBI dividend up 52% contains fiscal deficit
INDIA - A steep increase of over 51 per cent in the dividend payouts by Reserve Bank of India will help the Indian government to contain the fiscal deficit within 5.1 per cent.
Hayami justifies radical monetary easing in March
JAPAN - Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami on Mar 30, 2001 raised the spectre of weak demand tipping the world's second-largest economy into a destructive deflationary spiral.
Brazil cbank forecasts inflation at 4.8% in 2001
BRAZIL - Brazilian inflation, as registered by the IPCA index, should reach 4.8 percent in 2001, above initial forecasts but within government targets, the central bank said Mar 30, 2001.
Iceland considering inflation target for two years
ICELAND - Iceland adopted an inflation target on Mar 28, 2001. Mar Gudmundsson, chief economist of the central bank, said to CentralBankNet that discussions about an inflation target had been going on for two years.
Zambia cbank-debt relief conditions must be met
ZAMBIA - Zambia's central bank warned on Mar 30, 2001 that the southern African country faced a very difficult environment if it failed to meet conditions for a $3.8 billion debt relief package.
Belarus, Russia can adopt single currency by 2005
RUSSIA - Viktor Gerashchenko, head of the Russian Central Bank, said during his visit to Mahilyow on Mar 30 that Belarus and Russia could adopt a single currency before 2005 provided there were necessary economic conditions.
Central Bank of Malaysia - Annual Report 2000
MALAYSIA - On Mar 28, 2001, Bank Negara Malaysia released its annual report for 2000. A list of content and a link to the annual report on the BNM website is available. There is a chapter in the report devoted to Malaysia's Finanical Sector Masterplan.
HKMA Joseph Yam updates his cyberfable
HONG KONG - In March 2000, Joseph Yam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, presented the first part of his popular satirical internet story. In his weekly viewpoint column published on the HKMA website today, Yam brings up to date with…
Measurement of price indices-ECB seminar Nov 01
CENTRAL BANK SEMINAR - The ECB/CEPR are hosting a joint seminar on "Issues in the Measurement of Price Indices" in November/December 2001. It is being organised by MIT's Ernst Berndt, ECB head of research Vitor Gaspar and Dietmar Harhoff from Munich…
Macroeconomic Instability and Coordination
BOOK - Axel Leijonhufvud, Professor of Economics at the University of California, has published a book "Macroeconomic Instability and Coordination", a collection of selected essays. There is a press release by the publishers Edward Elgar and a list of…
'Does Money Matter?' by US Fed Governor Meyer
SPEECH - US Federal Reserve Board governor Laurence H. Meyer gave an excellent and wide-ranging speech on Mar 28, 2001 titled "Does Money Matter?". He says monetarism supeficially appears to play no role in the conduct of monetary policy in many…
ECB keeps rates at 4.75%
EUROPE - The European Central Bank maintained interest rates at 4.75% at its Governing Council meeting on Mar 29, 2001, refusing to follow recent rates cuts of the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan.
Norges Bank to introduce 2.5% inflation target
NORWAY - Norway's government on Mar 29, 2001 introduced a 2.5% inflation target for the country's central bank, in line with 'international practice' to raise the transparency of monetary policy and facilitiatate communications.
New bill strengthens NBS supervisory powers
SLOVAKIA - The new bill on banks, which was approved by the Slovak government on Mar 28, 2001, should boost the powers of the National Bank of Slovakia to carry out banking supervision.
BoF appoints Pikkarainen to head operations dept
FINLAND - Mr Pentti Pikkarainen has been appointed head of the Bank of Finland's market operations department, effective 1 May 2001.
Iceland floats krona, adopts 2.5% inflation target
ICELAND - On Mar 27, 2001, Iceland decided to float the krona and adopt a 2.5% inflation target. The krona has come under much pressure in recent weeks most recently on Mar 26, forcing the central bank to intervene in the markets to maintain the currency…
Pakistan cbank concerned Afghans using rupee-FT
PAKISTAN - A sharp rise in the amount of Pakistani rupee in circulation has prompted Pakistan's central bank to begin an inquiry into the increasing use of the currency in neighboring Afghanistan, senior bank officials said on Mar 28, 2001, according to…
Oman central bank to host supervision seminar
OMAN - The Central Bank of Oman will host a regional seminar on banking supervision organised by Switzerland's Financial Stability Institute of the Bank for International settlements.
HKMA to buy office space rather than rent
HONG KONG - Hong Kong's quasi central bank on Mar 29, 2001 defended a plan to buy 14 floors in a building in the city's center for its new offices, saying the move will be cheaper than to continue renting.
Lithuania cbank approves 2000 financial statements
LITHUANIA - At its board meeting on Mar 29, 2001, the Bank of Lithuania approved its financial statements for 2000, reporting profits for the year of LTL 126.2 million.
CNB bill to increase bank's accountability-fin min
CROATIA - During a debate in parliament on the new Croatian National Bank bill, deputy finance minister Damir Kustrak said that the bank's independence would be increased but at the same time it would have to be more accountable to parliament.
When is US bank lending to emerging mkts volatile?
CENTRAL BANK RESEARCH - In a New York Fed staff report, Linda S. Goldberg, finds out what causes fluctuations in lending by US banks to emerging markets. Goldberg finds the most important influence is the state of the US economy - when US growth is…
Financial mkt implications of the US debt paydown
CENTRAL BANK RESEARCH - The dwindling supply of US treasuries is worrying not only the financial markets but also Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenpsan, one of the reasons he has given his support for Bush's $1.6 trillion tax cuts. In a New York Fed…
Role of subordinated debt in market discipline
IMF RESEARCH - This new working paper by the IMF puts the last nail in the coffin regarding the use of mandatory subordinated debt in enhancing market discipline in emerging markets. It says the preconditions for its success are not fulfilled in emerging…