Financial crisis
St Helena’s forgotten currency board
St Helena’s small but perfectly formed currency board provides an example to the rest of the world, argue Steve Hanke and Matt Sekerke.
The benefits of a broader Basel
Ignoring the benefits of a diversified portfolio will penalise developing markets, argue Stephany Griffith-Jones, Stephen Spratt and Miguel Segoviano.
Leadership and management of central banks
“Almost by definition, central banks lack comparative advantage in managing organisational change”, argues John Mendzela. In the second of two articles, he outlines measures of efficiency and performance.
How to reform the stability and growth pact
Willem Buiter proffers his alternatives to the “stupid” arrangement.
Venezuela brings in new foreign exchange controls
Venezuela has introduced a raft of new foreign currency controls under President Hugo Chavez in an attempt to ease the economic turmoil that has enveloped the country.
Japan's Koizumi: Economic reforms need more time
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi insisted Friday there would be no financial crisis in the world's second-largest economy, promising tax cuts and pleading for time for reforms to work. He also said his Cabinet and the central bank were working…
Soberon - Cuban bank system had a successful 2002
Cuba managed to maintain monetary stability in 2002, despite difficult tests faced by its banking system in 2002 as a result of the world economic crisis and its effects on the island, Francisco Soberon, president of the Central Bank of Cuba, has said.
Crockett - Institutions for stability
SPEECH - In the speech 'Institutions for stability - current and past experience' Andrew Crockett of the BIS said the nature of international financial crises has been changing over time. Nowadays the most troublesome issues occur when a crisis of…
Economic Perspectives, Fourth Quarter 2002
REPORT - The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has published its regular quarterly journal of in-depth articles reporting on the Bank's economic research for the Fourth Quarter 2002. This edition includes an article 'Sorting out Japan's financial crisis'.
The Bank is losing a house price game
ARTICLE - This article suggests that the Bank of England's interest rate strategy has gone wrong causing a house price bubble and that central bankers avoid discussion on asset price bubbles incase their collapse makes them look stupid.
Bank of Japan to begin share buying plan next week
JAPAN - Japan's shock move to purchase equities in a bid to solve the banks bad loans crisis will begin next week. Last week Japan's FSA brought further concern suggesting that the problem could have been underestimated by as much as Y13,000bn.
Crisis Prevention and Crisis Management
RESEARCH - IMF Working Paper, November 2002 by Udaibir Das and Marc Quintyn, Monetary and Exchange Affairs Department, 'Crisis Prevention and Crisis Management: The Role of Regulatory Governance'. This paper first defines four key components of…
Duisenberg should stop suffocating Europe
ARTICLE - In the autumn of 1998, amid the storm of the Asian crisis, Europe's central bankers referred to Europe as an "island of stability". They were roundly criticised by their US friends who felt that the world economy was enduring its worst…
Leadership and management in central banking
Future demands on central banks require them now to adopt innovative approaches to leadership and management, argues John Mendzela in the first of two articles.
Review of Globalization and its Discontents
Joseph Stiglitz’s capacity to shock is not in doubt. But his view of globalisation is too narrow, and he is wide of the mark on the discontent, suggests Graham Bannock.
The costs of conversion for the UK
Graham Bannock, of Bannock Consulting, puts a figure of £12 billion on a switch to the euro for British business. For many, especially small firms, cost will exceed benefit, which may explain why most of them oppose UK entry.
Review of Financial crises and what to do about them
Barry Eichengreen finds a middle way between past policy failings and current lofty aims in his financial crisis handbook, says Benedict Mander.
Brazil central bank raises interest rates to 21%
BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank yesterday sought to stave off a growing financial crisis by raising overnight interest rates by 3 percentage points to 21 per cent. The increase followed renewed pressure on the Real, the country's currency, before a likely…
IMF's Stefan Ingves on the Nordic Banking Crisis
SPEECH - In a speech titled 'The Nordic Banking Crisis from an International Perspective' Stefan Ingves, Director, Monetary and Exchange Affairs Department at the IMF said that the lessons of the Nordic countries in dealing with their banking crises…
Brazil's c bank calls extraordinary Copom meeting
BRAZIL - Brazil's Central Bank called Monday an extraordinary meeting of its interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (Copom), two weeks before presidential elections and amid a currency crisis that is fanning inflation and whipping the economy.
Advocate of hard-landing may join Japan debt team
JAPAN - Japan's best-known advocate of a "hard-landing" solution to the banking crisis is likely to be named this week a member of the taskforce charged with drawing up proposals to tackle the financial system's mountain of bad debts.
NY Fed's McDonough says Brazil should be fine
US - New York Federal Reserve President William McDonough said on Monday that the crisis of confidence in Brazil would likely turn out all right.
BIS-Central bankers see economy picking up in 2003
SWITZERLAND - Top central bankers expect the world economy to pick up speed next year after turmoil in financial markets has weighed on growth prospects this year, Bank of England Governor Sir Edward George said on Monday.
RBA's Edey Confidence crisis no threat to recovery
AUSTRALIA - Fears that the global economic recovery has stalled have been overplayed, with Japan, the rest of Asia, and the United States growing steadily despite the crisis of confidence in stockmarkets, the Reserve Bank said yesterday.