Banks
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…
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), 11 October.
David Klein's mysterious adventure
ARTICLE - Several weeks ago, the premier international rating agency Standard & Poor downgraded the credit ratings of Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, and Bank Discount. This action was driven by concern over the quality of loans these banks have issued. In…
BoJ to buy $16bn of banks' shareholdings
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan on Friday said it would buy yen 2,000bn ($16.5bn) of banks' shareholdings to make them less vulnerable to stock market swings.
Armenian MPs discuss amendment on money laundering
ARMENIA - The Armenian parliament has discussed in its first reading a package of draft laws on amendments to the current Armenian laws "On banks and banking activities", "On the Central Bank of Armenia" and "On credit activities" submitted by the…
Non-US banks may secure Sarbanes-Oxley concession
BELGIUM - Non-US banks may win a significant concession on tough new US legislation on corporate governance and accounting.
Brazil imposes stricter bank equity requirements
BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank has raised the equity requirement for banks holding US dollars, in a bid to halt the local currency's slide against the dollar, Brazilian central bank regulations director Sergio Darcy was quoted as saying by local press.
Brazil c bank imposes stricter equity requirements
BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank has raised the equity requirement for banks holding US dollars, in a bid to halt the local currency's slide against the dollar, Brazilian central bank regulations director Sergio Darcy was quoted as saying by local press.
Bank of Spain makes pessimistic on economy
SPAIN - Jaime Caruana, governor of the Bank of Spain, yesterday announced the bank's economic predictions. The central bank is expecting growth this year of no more than 2 per cent, two tenths of a percentage point lower than the government's prediction.
Chinese central bankers in visit to Taiwan
TAIWAN - A China central bank delegation heading to Taiwan may include the highest-level official yet to visit the island as Taiwan banks prepare to open their first offices across the strait, the Taipei Times said.
Brazil central bank moves to prop up currency
BRAZIL - Brazil's Central Bank on Monday made it more expensive for banks to hold foreign currency and gold assets in hopes of propping up its own local currency, the real.
Bank of England News Release
NEWS RELEASE - Bank of England Meetings in Manchester and Liverpool, 7 October.
Impact Survey of New Basel Capital Accord
REPORT - The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on 1 October launched a comprehensive field test for banks of its proposals for revising the 1988 Capital Accord. The field test referred to as the third quantitative impact study, or QIS 3, represents…
Aus and NZ central banks leave rates unchanged
OCEANIA - The Australian and New Zealand reserve banks left their benchmark interest rates unchanged Wednesday amid uncertainty over global economic growth.
Greenspan goes on trial for bubble complacency
ARTICLE - Alan Greenspan's reputation now lies in the balance. Which way the balance tips matters not only for him but also for the consensus on how central banks should respond to asset prices.
IMF, World Bank meetings in 2006 in Singapore
SINGAPORE - The International Monetary Fund and World Bank's annual meetings are likely to attract 15,000 delegates and S$30 million when they are staged at Singapore's Suntec City in 2006.
BOK moves to curb excessive liquidity
KOREA - The central bank will reduce preferential credit to local banks during the fourth quarter of the year, in a move to control excessive liquidity in the market.
RBI liberalises exchange control procedures
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday said banks authorised to deal in foreign exchange may permit importers in India to avail short-term credit for periods less than three years and amount not in excess of $20 million per import transaction…
Thai central bank puts loans case to Basel panel
THAILAND - The Bank of Thailand has asked member countries of BIS Basel Committee to curtail loans to hedge funds, according to Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, the central bank's deputy governor overseeing stability of financial institutions.
Croatian, Indonesian central banks sign agreement
CROATIA - The HINA news agency in Zagreb reported on Monday that an agreement on understanding and cooperation between the Croatian and Indonesian central banks was signed at the Croatian National Bank on Monday during the visit of a delegation of Bank…
China revises internal bank rules
CHINA - China's central bank introduced revised rules on the internal controls of commercial banks yesterday, in a further effort to reduce the possibility of financial risks.