Banks
Czech Havel meets Niedermayer on his cbank post
CZECH REPUBLIC - Czech President Vaclav Havel met central bank (CNB) Vice-Governor Ludek Niedermayer late on Monday to discuss his future on the bank's policy-setting board, Havel's spokesman said on Tuesday.
SNB sell 10.3 tons of gold in latest 10-day period
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss National Bank sold around 10.3 metric tons of surplus gold in the 10-day reporting period ended 31 January, the central bank's regular statistical report showed Friday.
Credit card clean-up in Australia
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia is poised to make sweeping changes to credit card regulations in 2002. Should it prohibit the banks' interchange fee structure, as has already been flagged, Australia's banks will lose a collective $A400 million…
Fed's Poole - C banks mustn't risk price stability
US - St. Louis Federal Reserve President William Poole warned on Monday that central banks should not chase economic stability at the expense of stable prices.
US economists to free up Argentine bank system
ARGENTINA - Adam Lerrick and Allan Meltzer, two prominent US economists, have proposed a new scheme to allow Argentines to use the money locked up in the banking system without triggering a collapse of the banks - arguably the single largest problem…
Fed's Meyer - A little inflation better than none
US - Outgoing Federal Reserve Governor Laurence Meyer said on Wednesday that the U.S. central bank's commitment to price stability should not be taken as a goal to eliminate inflation entirely.
SocGen halt processing of checks from Israel banks
FRANCE - French bank Societe Generale SA (F.SGF) said Wednesday it has stopped accepting checks from its correspondent banks in Israel for a temporary period of two months amid the furore over an alleged money-laundering ring.
Pakistan central bank governor announces new plan
PAKISTAN - As of 1 July, 2002, all non-banking financial services in Pakistan, such as investment and corporate advisory service; leasing, housing finance and venture capital companies and discount houses, will be regulated by the Securities and Exchange…
Bank of Canada Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - Why Do Central Banks Smooth Interest Rates? by Gabriel Srour, Research Department, Bank of Canada.
Fears that euro ATMs will run dry
UK - The stock of euro notes in banks' cash machines is in danger of running out in the first weeks of the new currency's launch on 1 January, bankers have warned.
Euro Profits Bonanza
CENTRALBANKNET SPECIAL REPORT - Europe's national central banks stand to profit to the tune of billions of euros as a result of retiring Europe's existing paper currencies and introducing a single currency.
Japan ready to bail out banks
JAPAN - Japan's central bank stands ready to bail out the country's ailing banks - but only in the event of a crisis.
Regulators try to ease fears on capital proposals
SWITZERLAND - International banking regulators yesterday intensified efforts to meet industry concerns over the complexity of proposed new rules governing the amount of capital banks must hold.
RBI wants to delicense money changers
INDIA - In tune with the financial sector liberalisation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) wants to delicense the money changers. It plans to get out of the business and wants the money changers to work as agents of public sector banks.
China to lift foreign banks' forex restrictions
CHINA - China will lift restrictions on foreign-exchange business conducted by foreign banks operating in the country, China's central bank announced via state television Sunday.
EU won't protest changes at Polish c bank
POLAND - An amendment to Poland's central bank law increasing the size of the bank's interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Council, or RPP, shouldn't draw protests from the European Union, Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Friday in an interview on…
Speech by Deputy Gov of the Reserve Bank of India
SPEECH - Inaugural address delivered by Shri Vepa Kamesam, Dy. Governor, Reserve Bank of India at Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad at a programme on 'Governance in Banks and Financial Institutions' on 22 November.
Pakistan 'set for parallel bank system'
PAKISTAN - Pakistan's central bank yesterday issued a fresh set of requirements for commercial banks intending to provide Islamic banking services, in a step to comply with an order from the country's Supreme Court seeking a conversion to Islamic banking…
Argentina restrict amount of cash bank withdrawals
ARGENTINA - The Argentine government, desperate to stop a hemorrhaging of funds from the banking system, capped cash withdrawals from banks and limited the amount residents may transfer abroad.
Banks deal with coin shortage in Australia
AUSTRALIA - Banks in some parts of Australia are experiencing coin shortages. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which recently implemented a new coin distribution system, blames the shortfall on teething problems with the new system.
C bank halves reserves required in the Philippines
PHILIPPINES - In a move that could free up funds for lending and ease pressure on banks' earnings, the Philippine Central Bank decided to halve the general reserves it requires banks to set aside to cover possible loan losses.
Japan's bond market gets the jitters over debt
JAPAN - The Japanese government bond market was hit by a new bout of jitters on Monday as concern rose that the country's debt could soon be downgraded again - and signs emerged that Japanese banks were selling more JGBs.
Argentine central bank moves to cap interest rates
ARGENTINA - Argentina's Central Bank has entered potentially dangerous new territory this week, trying to impose ceilings on the interest rates banks pay depositors.
Row threatens Finland's euro launch
FINLAND - A row between banks and retailers in Finland is threatening to disrupt the launch euro notes and coins.