People

Poland may replace three board members

Reports say that National Bank of Poland governor Leszek Balcerowicz will soon replace three members of the management board of the NBP, Jerzy Stopyra and Andrzej Bratkowski, while the third name is still unknown.

France 'won't back Rato's IMF candidacy'

Outgoing Spanish Economy Minister Rodrigo Rato emerged as a leading European candidate to head the IMF this week, but his chances of getting the nod were later thrown into doubt following comments attributed to Jacques Chirac.

Brash unimpressed with RBNZ's plans

Former RBNZ chief Don Brash said this week that while the high value of the New Zealand dollar was hurting the economy, any attempt to intervene would be fraught with risk.

ECB mourns Spanish bomb victims

In Frankfurt on Thursday 11 March, about 150 employees of the European Central Bank gathered before the bank headquarters in a memorial service for the victims of the Madrid bombing.

RBZ head Gono receives death threats

The head of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Gideon Gono, picked by President Robert Mugabe to lead the government's anti-corruption drive, has claimed he has received death threats from corrupt businessmen and politicians, a newspaper reported this week.

Woman tries to spend fake $1 million note

A US woman was charged with forgery this week after trying to spend a $1 million bank note in a Georgia supermarket. Staff refused to accept the note or hand over her $998,328.45 in change (if they had it!) and called the manager.

Developing nations seek IMF top job

While the smart money is increasingly moving towards Spanish Finance Minister Rodrigo Rato as Horst Kohler's successor at the IMF, developing countries have waded into the debate and staked their claim to the Fund's top job.

ECB board member confirmation hearing in April

The European Parliament said on Wednesday 3 March that it will hold a confirmation hearing with the nominee for the ECB's soon to be vacant seat. It spoke of a broadening of backgrounds which "would come from board members with an academic or…

Paul Sweezy dies at 93

Paul M Sweezy, a Harvard University economist who did much work on the theory of oligopoly, and left academia to become America's leading Marxist intellectual and publisher during the cold war era, died on Saturday 28 February at his New York home.

Court upholds immunity of former BSP chief Laya

The Third Division of the Philippines Sandiganbayan Court has upheld the immunity granted to former Central Bank governor Jaime Laya by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and dismissed the $65 million graft case against him.

Three BI insiders proposed for senior dep governor

President Megawati has proposed three names from within Bank Indonesia as candidates for the post of senior deputy governor, reflecting the government's intention to pick someone who is already familiar with the central bank's working environment.

The bad news - Greenspan must go!

Chairman Greenspan's busy week of testimony and speeches didn't go without its critics. Republican Senator Bernie Sanders sent a letter to President "Dubya" asking for Greenspan's removal.