Banks
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.
Banks in the US tighten lending standards
US - Reflecting the shaky US economy, banks have been tightening lending standards even as demand for loans continues to drop, according to the Federal Reserve's latest survey of loan officers.
Minimum standards for securities settlement system
REPORT - Central banks and securities regulators release recommendations for securities settlement systems, 12 November.
Speech by Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve
SPEECH - Remarks by Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Roger W. Ferguson, Jr at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants National Conference on Banks and Savings Institutions, Washington, D.C., 8 November.
Russia c bank tightens banks' gold export controls
UK - The Central Bank of Russia published a directive Thursday obliging commercial banks to submit information on their export of gold ingots to the State Customs Committee within 10 days of the metal leaving the country.
China, HK banks to share retail expertise - HKMA
HONG KONG - Banks from China and Hong Kong can cooperate closely on retail banking business, such as swapping information about the credit standing of borrowers, Hong Kong's de facto central bank chief said last Thursday.
Speech by Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
SPEECH - Inaugural address by Shri Vepa Kamesam, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India at the Conference of CMDs of Public Sector Banks at IDRBT, Hyderabad on 2 November.
Argentine ctrl bk moves to fight drop in deposits
ARGENTINA - Argentina's central bank will order local banks to repatriate $1.9 billion of the loan loss reserve funds they have deposited in a Deutschebank account in New York City to inject more funds into the nation's money markets and keep interest…
Security hole in cash machines
UK - A serious weakness has been discovered in the methods used by banks to protect the personal identification number (Pin) that lets you get money from a cash machine.
RBI nominee directors to handle risk management
INDIA - Following adverse criticism in the Lok Sabha of the role of RBI and government directors on bank boards, the ministry of finance has decided to concentrate on risk management skills of nominee directors of Reserve Bank of India and the government…
European Parliament Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Euro change-over: MEPs demand bigger effort from banks and retailers, 7 November.
China has no plan to relax foreign bank rule: HKMA
HONG KONG - China said on Tuesday it had no plans to relax its US$20 billion asset-base threshold for foreign banks wanting to open branches in the country, according to a Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) spokesman.
Russia's Gokhran to buy gold for central bank
RUSSIA - Russian precious metals depository Gokhran will buy 40 metric tons of gold in 2002 from domestic commercial banks for the Central Bank of Russia's reserves, Gokhran official Valery Goncharov told reporters Monday.
Error rate high with euro notes trial in France
FRANCE - Two months before euro notes and coins come into circulation, the financial community is concerned that cashiers in shops and banks will not be ready to use euros and detect fake notes from 1 January.
GATA - Howe lawsuit goes to Boston hearing
US - A hearing in GATA consultant Reginald H. Howe's gold market manipulation lawsuit against the Bank for International Settlements, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and Treasury Department, and five bullion banks will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in U.S…
The future of online banking
ARTICLE - A letter published in the Financial Times London edition, 31 October, comments on a previous feature the paper reported on the outlook for online banking.
Banks maintain intl corporate credit exposure - 2Q
UK - Despite the worsening global economic outlook, banks' credit exposure to international corporations in the second quarter remained around the same level as in the first quarter, the Bank for International Settlements revealed.
Citibank launch c bank securities lending program
US - Citibank Worldwide Securities Services has launched a lending program for central banks.