Central Banking
RBI launches app to help visually impaired
App can be used by people with visual impairment to identify banknotes
Central bank research may be too focused on narrow topics – paper
Network analysis finds many central banks are limited in the scope of their research
Chile’s central bank publishes historical meeting minutes
Historical minutes have been digitised in a move to improve transparency and accountability
Pension funds suffer in latest round of Eiopa stress-testing
Only 30% of funds have policies in place to mitigate ESG risk; low interest rates continue to pose a problem for funds across Europe
West Africa launches new currency in break with France
New ‘eco’ currency will still be pegged to the euro, but France will have less involvement in the affairs of the West African Economic and Monetary Union
Central Bank of Iceland completes merger with regulator
Governor Ásgeir Jónsson to retain overall responsibility; two new deputy positions created
ECB paper offers tiering solution to CBDC structural concerns
Separating CBDC functions between tiers could disincentivise use during crisis periods, but disintermediation of the banking sector still a risk, author warns
Risk weight tweak could fix IFRS 9 capital clash – research
Practitioner suggests way to cancel out double-counting of Basel credit loss provisions
Machine learning can produce better credit scores – BIS paper
Fintech firms may be better at predicting default rates, researchers find
Fed avoids year-end cash crunch
Repo market shows barely a ripple over New Year’s Eve after Fed injects a quarter of a trillion dollars
Hong Kong supervisory framework needs further strengthening – IMF
Growth outlook has deteriorated but banking sector well positioned, says fund
Eurochain: CBDC project seeks secure anonymity
Proof of concept blends anonymity with AML/CFT regulation
Monetary easing can boost birth rate, BoE paper finds
People had more children after rates were slashed post-crisis, researchers find
Bahamas rolls out first phase of CBDC pilot
Pilot will be rolled out to rest of country after June 2020, says governor Rolle, contingent on success of Exuma and Abaco case studies
Markets surge as PBoC cuts RRR
Cut designed to support the flagging economy; PBoC insists it is retaining “sound” policy
2020: fintech and beyond
At the turn of the decade, central bankers share their thoughts on financial technology – past, present and future
Macroeconomics is not broken
The discipline has moved beyond the neoclassical synthesis. Critics should too
Are we sleepwalking into a cashless society?
Cash could be crowded out of the payment landscape if current trends continue, but should central banks be responsible for ensuring its survival?
Yngve Slyngstad: contrarian person, brilliant investor
Knut Kjær reflects on the character of the man that has led Norway’s $1.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund and contemplates the complex governance challenges ahead
2019: The year in review
The past year was marked by a persistent weakening of the global economy, and some radical financial innovations
People: Ingves elected ESRB vice-chair
Appointments at ESRB and ECB; official resigns from the Central Bank of Colombia
Negative rates demonstrate shortcomings of currency
Many central banks have rates in negative territory. The distortionary effects of these policies raise broader questions on the design of money itself, writes Barry Topf
Schnabel and Panetta appointed ECB executive board members
The final distribution of responsibilities in January will determine the new members’ portfolios
Argentina lowers key rate floor
New governor aims to abandon ultra-tight financial conditions