Growth
Reserve accumulation enhances welfare if coupled with capital controls
Foreign reserve accumulation is part and parcel of a growth strategy based on strong capital investment in a financially constrained economy, according to a Banque de France research paper
Riksbank deputy: Slowing Swedish growth to be buoyed by eurozone recovery
Kerstin af Jochnick says Riksbank will conduct flexible monetary policy accounting for growth in household debt until macro-prudential policy has been established
RBI study warns against rate cut to stimulate growth
Study by members of policy and statistics departments says any benefits of a rate cut would be offset by higher inflation; Rajan points to stronger economic institutions as the key
IMF reports show French and German banking sectors are key to European stability
IMF urges France to do away with tax disincentives to deposits in an effort to broaden banks' funding sources; emphasises Germany's role in forging a robust eurozone financial architecture
South African market inefficiencies keep ‘insiders happy and outsiders out'
Sarb deputy governor Francois Groepe says speedy implementation of key proposals in the National Development Plan would be a good start for spurring more inclusive growth
Crisis altered ‘traditional factor' impact on EM capital flows, new paper finds
According to the authors, the crisis ‘brought very important changes in terms of degree, size and volatility of capital flows to emerging markets'
Policy adjustments could create 1.7 million additional South African jobs, new paper argues
‘The combined impact of reducing transport and communication costs, reducing the skill constraint, and increasing foreign direct and domestic investment' could increase potential growth to 8%
No ‘significant' correlation between declining bank credit and growth, BIS paper finds
Real exchange rates and public debt, however, show a statistically significantly correlation with recovery
IMF research quantifies distributional damage from fiscal consolidation
Working paper suggests efforts to cut budget deficits in advanced economies have raised inequality, cut the wage income share of GDP and pushed up long-term unemployment
RBA minutes reflect uncertainty over US and Japanese policy
Minutes of the June monetary policy meeting show uncertainty over effects of Japan’s easing and a possible slowdown of US policy; non-mining sector remains ‘subdued’
Riksbank paper looks at scrapping inflation target in favour of nominal GDP
Working paper concludes the inflation target should not be dropped, but only outperforms nominal GDP targeting when forward guidance is given
ECB paper finds cost of macro-prudential policies may outweigh benefits
Working paper finds macro-prudential policies can be effective in deflating asset bubbles, but warns the cost of doing so may be higher than the benefit
Bundesbank research studies how weak resolution rules impact growth
Discussion paper employs ‘catharsis indicator’ to show that stronger resolution regimes reward good firms and help to allocate credit effectively, boosting growth
Bank of Israel’s outgoing chief, Stanley Fischer, on the challenges of central banking
Stanley Fischer believes his work as governor of the Bank of Israel is done. He tells Chris Jeffery about the reform process in Israel as well as the challenges facing the world economy and the IMF
Bank of Spain says slump reached ‘nadir’ in 2012
Annual report says recovery is in progress and should continue this year, but depends crucially on continued internal adjustments and the external setting
Fed’s Raskin says fiscal policy is holding economy back
Member of board of governors expects fiscal policy to ‘significantly hinder’ growth this year and remain restrictive going forward, but predicts continued moderate recovery
African growth could be ‘derailed’ by geopolitical tensions
South African Reserve Bank fears terrorism in continent’s key growth economies and heightened risk of social unrest could harm Africa’s growth prospects; also concerned by domestic unemployment
ECB annual report strikes hopeful note at end of rough year
Report highlights peak in financial market stress in mid-year, but says policy measures were effective in reducing this later in year; inflation above target and growth on downward slide
BoE’s McCafferty denies Monetary Policy Committee has ‘gone soft’
MPC member highlights positive signs for growth but says inflation is ‘more concerning’; expects inflation to remain above target but says a response is not yet necessary
SNB vice-chair tells people to ‘fasten seatbelts’ following CCB activation
Jean-Pierre Danthine says activation of the counter-cyclical capital buffer aims to avoid a sharp fall in property prices and rise in defaults, but achieving a soft landing will be challenging
IMF's Blanchard warns Europe could drag world economy down
IMF chief economist says ‘three-speed’ global economy could be dangerous; World Economic Outlook urges central banks to keep policy loose but be ready with an exit strategy
Lagarde highlights emergence of ‘three-speed’ global economy
IMF managing director says differences between regions are ‘starker than ever’ as emerging markets leave many advanced economies behind
Palestine Monetary Authority finds greater parity between West Bank and Gaza territories
Palestinian central bank develops business-cycle indicator to assess economic performance in real time; finds gap in performance between two territories is shrinking
Sri Lankan central bank reveals inflation spike in 2012
Sri Lankan annual report says economic growth, while still strong, fell in 2012 while inflation rose sharply; central bank increased reserves by 15%