Central Banking
Banque de France paper explains new GDP forecast model
New model aims to eliminate 'systematic upward predictive bias' since the crisis
Singapore intensifies efforts to cut banknote waste
Monetary Authority of Singapore unveils a social networking campaign that encourages the public to refrain from giving brand new banknotes to each other at Chinese New Year
Philippines governor unperturbed by inflation surge
Amando Tetangco insists the inflation environment is ‘manageable’ despite annual CPI almost doubling in the past four months; central bank hits target for fifth consecutive year
Bernanke looks back on his time at the top
Fed chairman, who steps down on February 1, offers his take on an array of issues, including the long-term implications of asset purchases, central bank accountability and financial stability reforms
New York Fed's Dudley lists presidential attributes
The president of the New York Fed need not be an economist, says Dudley; they must, however, be open-minded, pragmatic and have a strong research team behind them
Flug turns Bank of Israel focus to financial stability
Central bank's 'workplan' for 2014 centres on financial stability reforms; governor tells Knesset that stress tests show banking system is strong, but operating efficiency remains low
Bank of Italy share capital revalued
Italian government revalues central bank’s share capital at €7.5 billion; ECB rebukes finance ministry for jumping the gun
SNB loses $16 billion on gold
The Swiss National Bank expects to report a loss of 10 billion dollars for 2013 as heavy valuation losses on its gold holdings outweigh forex gains and StabFund profits
IMF paper models sovereign restructuring in monetary union
Paper prepared by economists in IMF's fiscal affairs department shows the restructuring country's economy would suffer more if its residents hold most of its sovereign debt
US Fed heads debate slow growth ‘riddle'
Presidents of four regional reserve banks at odds over whether weak trajectory in wake of the financial crisis is inherently structural or cyclical
Lagarde warns of single currency ‘challenge’ in East Africa
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde tells the East African Community to learn from the genesis of other monetary unions across the globe
Kuroda draws on lessons from Paul Volcker’s Fed tenure
Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda points to Paul Volcker’s success in lowering inflation expectations in the United States as proof of central banks' ability to influence markets
IMF urges full recapitalisation of Ugandan central bank
The Bank of Uganda was recapitalised by the government in June 2013, but further capital injections will depend on the central bank's ability to ‘streamline’ operational costs
RBI's Mohanty reviews policy through crisis years
India's central bank joined its counterparts around the world in using unconventional monetary policy to tackle the financial crisis, and the effects of Fed taper
Offshore RMB market booming in London, report finds
A study by the City of London Corporation reveals the City's efforts to become a global hub for renminbi business are paying off, with daily spot value reaching $4.8 billion last year
Bank of Estonia staff pay rises will survive budget cuts
Staff members will receive average salary increases of 5% in 2014, even as the central bank strives to cut its budget by €830,000
People: Canada deputy retires; Tucker becomes Sir Paul
John Murray's retirement creates a deputy governor vacancy at the Bank of Canada; former Bank of England deputy Paul Tucker is knighted; and more
Reserve managers continue push into diverse currencies
Latest data from the IMF shows non-traditional reserve currencies continue to see their share of global reserve holdings grow; sterling, yen and the Swiss franc fall in favour
Chilean central bank puts rate cuts on pause
Minutes from the board’s December meeting reveal members were concerned about spooking markets and wanted to buy time to assess earlier easing
Dutch paper finds that bonuses are main cause of distrust in banks
Researchers at Dutch central bank find that banker bonuses have a greater impact on public trust than government intervention, stock prices and media reports
Frontloading fears remain despite Esma guidance
Uncertainty has been narrowed by Esma Q&A, but dealers say they will still face pricing headaches
Bank Indonesia hands supervisory powers and 1,150 staff members to FSA
Shake-up of bank supervision sees micro-prudential responsibilities transferred from the central bank to the financial services authority
Asian decoupling a figment of the great moderation, says BIS paper
Evidence of Asia's economic decoupling from the rest of the world was a symptom of low co-movement during tranquil economic times, which ended with the arrival of the financial crisis
Macro-prudential and fiscal co-ordination could pay big dividends, IMF staffers say
International co-ordination of macro-prudential and fiscal policies would have a far greater effect than the literature predicts for internationally co-ordinated monetary policy, paper shows