Central Banking
IMF praises Croatia's economic programme
Croatia's authorities deserve to be praised for their three-year economic programme, the IMF's Stanley Fischer said on Mar 19, 2001 after the IMF approved a 14-month stand-by credit for $255 million for Croatia.
BoE ready to cut UK rates if necessary-minutes
Britain's central bank is ready to lower borrowing costs if the global economic outlook worsens or British consumer spending starts to ease, minutes of the Bank's last policy meeting showed on Mar 21, 2001.
Credit-card reform goes to the RBA
AUSTRALIA - On Mar 20, 2001, the Australian competition regulator handed the job of reforming Australia's credit-card system to Australia's central bank.
Philippines engages PWC to create PNB rehab plan
The Phillipines government has hired PriceWaterhouse Coopers to draw up a plan to rehabilitate partly state-owned Philippine National Bank in preparation for the sale of an 83% stake in the loss-making bank, Central Bank Governor Rafael Buenaventura said…
Thorpe leaves UK's Financial Services Authority
Phillip Thorpe is stepping down as managing director of the UK's Financial Services Authority and will be taking on a new role as president of the Futures Industry Institute based in Washington, DC.
BoJ switches to target monetary base
As expected, the Bank of Japan has reinstated its zero interest rate policy, but it has done this by switching its operational target to expand the money supply.
Indian Reserve Bank demands risk data
The RBI, responding to fears over the effects of market volatility on cooperative banks, has demanded information about their stock market exposures.
Bank of Finland Board Member under fire
Finnish newspaper reports parliamentarians' unhappiness with Bank of Finland board member, Sinikka Salo.
ECB tight-lipped on banking supervision
A confidential ECB report arguing that eurozone central banks should continue to perform banking supervision has been leaked to German daily paper Boersen Zeitung.
Belarus cbank cools on unification with Russia
No unification of Russian and Belarusian central banks says Prakapovich.
UKRAINE: Former deputy central bank chief detained
Reserves scandal claims former deputy governor
Study effects of gold lending says Italy's Santini
Central banks must study the effects of gold lending in order to see if they can raise returns on their portfolios without dirupting the market said the Banca D'Italia's Santini yesterday.
Chile and NZ advise on Indonesian central bank law
The central bank governors of Chile and New Zealand will arrive on April 4 to join two Indonesian experts in the discussion on how to amend Indonesia's central bank law.
IDB's Inglesias - priorities for Latin America
IDB president, Enrique Iglesias launched the annual meetings of the Inter-American Development Bank in Santiago Chile (March 19)
New Fed paper probes productivity growth
What's Driving the New Economy? The Benefits of Workplace Innovation (Sandra E. Black and Lisa M. Lynch)
Greek monetary policy report stresses convergence
REPORT: Competitiveness and productivity are key to Greece's economic convergence with the rest of the eurozone, according to the latest report on monetary policy from the Bank of Greece, submitted to parliament yesterday.
IMF data quality framework
RESEARCH - New IMF working paper considers standards for data quality.
ECB keeps rates steady despite growth fears
As expected, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank held interest rates steady (at its March 15 meeting yesterday) undeterred by weak share markets and dimming euro zone growth prospects.
Price stability remit for Croatian Cbank
Croatia's parliment is to debate a new central bank law to reform the payment system and give the central bank more independence.
ECB monetary analysis papers
RESEARCH - The ECB has today (March 16) published a series of papers from a seminar for staff from central banks entitled "Monetary analysis: Tools and applications" held in November 2000.
Govt pressures BoJ to cut rates back to zero
NEWS - The Bank of Japan is under severe pressure from the Japanese government to cut interest rates back to zero at its monetary policy meeting on Monday 19 March.
Tajik central bank retires rouble
NEWS - The National Bank of Tajikistan has set an April 1 deadline for citizens to exchange their old Tajik rouble banknotes for the new currency (Somoni and dirams)
Indonesian cbank ponders Standard Chartered fine
NEWS - Bank Indonesia has agreed to look again at fines levied for breaches of forex dealing regulations after Standard Chartered complained the penalites were excessive in response to "operational errors" which had been quickly corrected.
First council members for Montenegran central bank
NEWS - the new central bank council for Montenego's fledgling monetary authority was appointed on 15 March by the Montenegrin assembly. It includes current deputy prime minister Ljubisa Krgovic.