Banks
Deflation may be the real danger for central banks
ARTICLE - Deflation or inflation - could the central bank guns be facing in the wrong direction? This article suggests that rather than worry about inflation, the major central banks could instead be preparing for a battle against the opposite, deflation.
Risk-profile onus falls on India's banks
INDIA - The RBI has rolled out Risk Based Supervision (RBS) for banks. The central bank has sent a template of prudential norms to all banks to independently measure their prudential status.
Mboweni takes inflation plan to the people
SOUTH AFRICA - South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Tito Mboweni took the central bank's views on inflation to the public on Wednesday, stressing the bank would not try to meet its targets "at all costs".
Bies on effective accounting and disclosure
SPEECH - In the speech 'Effective Accounting and Disclosure for Financial Transactions and Financial Institutions' made on 7 November, Susan Bies of the Federal Reserve said a restoration of public confidence in the U.S. capital markets has begun, but…
Nigerian banks need code of operations, CBN chief
NIGERIA - Worried about recent experience in the global financial sector where corporate scandals have become the order of the day, governor of the Central Bank, Chief Joseph Sanusi, has asked banks to draw up a national code guiding operations of…
Total of bad loans understated by Y13,000bn - FSA
JAPAN - Japan's Financial Services Agency has revealed for the first time that it believes bad loans at the country's banks are Y13,000bn (£68bn) greater than the banks say.
World Bank backs more powers for Bangko Sentral
PHILIPPINES - The world Bank favours the legislation of stronger powers for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to intervene in cash-strapped banks as part of further reforms to improve the country's regulatory and supervisory framework.
UAE concession to foreign banks
UAE - Foreign banks in the United Arab Emirates are to receive a concession under a new central bank law to be issued early next year.
Basel Committee QIS 3 Frequently Asked Questions
REPORT - Supervisors and banks have raised the following issues since the distribution of the Basel Committee's Quantitative Impact Study 3 (QIS 3), 30 October.
Banking Bunkum
ARTICLE - The Asia Times takes a look at central banks and suggests they have similar characteristics to libraries, where books and money serve the same purpose. They also tell us that ex Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker once said "central bankers…
Indian banks to take up forward trading in gold
INDIA - In what is seen as a possible first step in opening up the Indian bullion market, all scheduled commercial banks authorised to deal in gold have been permitted to enter into forward contracts with their constituents (exporters of gold products,…
Europe's best defence against deflation
ARTICLE - Many people are worried about deflation. Severe deflation, as in the early 1930s, is catastrophic; mild deflation, as in Japan today, could become self-reinforcing. There are, moreover, similarities between early 1990s Japan and parts of Europe…
AGCC reaffirms switchover plan to single currency
ARTICLE - Governors of AGCC central banks have reaffirmed their commitment to introducing a common currency for the six-member Arab states, as Gulf economies are gradually embracing the idea of globalisation and financial sector liberalisation.
Thailand's credit card rate to be capped at 18%
THAILAND - Interest rates and charges for credit cards issued by both banks and non-banks should be capped at 18%, says Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Brazil's central bank president want independence
BRAZIL - The autonomy of the Central Bank in the future Brazilian administration was defended by the bank's current president, Arminio Fraga, and by a former one, Gustavo Franco, in Rio de Janeiro.
Canada's c bank warns of spike in inflation
CANADA - The Bank of Canada said Wednesday economic growth will be lower than expected in the short term but inflation could still double the bank's target by year-end, as Canada continues to be pulled in opposite directions by uncertain global markets…
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - 'Should central banks really be flexible?', by Hans Peter Gruner, October 2002. The paper looks at a model where risk averse trade unions interact with a central bank. Gruner shows that central bank flexibility is not necessarily desirable…
Federal Reserve Board Press Release, 22 October
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Reserve Board, along with the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco, will sponsor a conference this fall to explore ways to encourage banking opportunities in tribal communities.
BIS consolidated banking statistics
REPORT - The BIS today released consolidated banking statistics for the Second Quarter 2002. These statistics provide an insight into the nature and extent of banks' foreign exposures, as well as supplementary information about countries' external…
Poland's central bank warns of bad debt increase
POLAND - The National Bank of Poland (NBP) has published calculations indicating a 21 percent increase in the level of bad debts on loans granted by banks to corporate clients.
Major revolution in Nigeria's bank industry begins
NIGERIA - A major revolution in Nigeria's banking industry began Monday with the automation of cheque clearing among all 90 banks in the country. The launching of the Nigerian Automated Clearing System (NACS), an arm of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement…
Ferguson on financial stability, central bank role
SPEECH - In the speech 'Should Financial Stability Be an Explicit Central Bank Objective?' made on 17 September and published on 16 October, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that financial stability is and always will be of vital interest to…
Banks put themselves at risk in Basle
ARTICLE - The Basle committee on banking supervision is once again consulting banks over the impact of its draft new capital accord. Basle II will have an important bearing on bank lending within and between countries. Despite its good intentions, the…
Tokyo urged to improve corporate governance
JAPAN - Japan's banks will never recover their health unless they undergo a drastic improvement in corporate governance similar to that imposed on South Korean financial institutions after the 1997 financial crisis, according to a Standard & Poor's…