Inflation
IMF Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - The paper 'Why Do Many Disinflations Fail? The Importance of Luck, Timing, and Political Institutions' published on 15 January considers why so many inflation stabilizations succeed only temporarily. The authors, Javier Hamann and Alessandro…
Interview with Nobuyuki Nakahara
INTERVIEW - Currently an adviser to Japan's Financial Services Agency Nobuyuki Nakahara is a favourite to land the job of governor of the Bank of Japan in March. In the interview he said the introduction of a 1-3 per cent inflation target would serve as…
Koizumi moves away from inflation target idea
More LDP members oppose plans to have the Bank of Japan set price-increase goals. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is shying away from promoting inflation targets to fight falling prices amid rising calls from within the ruling party for Japan…
Dodge on the Monetary Policy Report Update
SPEECH - In his opening statement on the release of the Bank of Canada's Monetary Policy Report Update David Dodge suggested Canadian interest rates would need to rise to return inflation to the 2 per cent target over the medium term.
Hayami, Japan's inflation target a reckless gamble
Japan's central bank governor Masaru Hayami said Friday the setting of an inflation target for Japan in an attempt to stop the long slide in prices would be a "reckless gamble". The comment comes at a time when the BOJ has faced pressure from some…
Canada's Dodge warns of rising inflation
Bank of Canada governor David Dodge warned Thursday that inflation pressures are greater than expected and that the inflation rate could hit an 11-year high of 4.5 per cent this winter.
Brazil raises interest rates in surprise move
Brazil's central bank surprised financial markets yesterday with an increase of its prime lending rate by 0.5 percentage points to 25.5 per cent, showing its intention to implement tough inflation controls. Only two weeks ago central bank chief Henrique…
BOJ under pressure to target inflation
ARTICLE - As Hayami's term is about to come to an end speculation not only mounts as to his successor but whether the Bank of Japan should introduce an inflation target under the new leadership.
The governor's performance hits a new low
ARTICLE - An article published in the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday criticised Bank of Israel governor David Klein for apparently laying the blame for Israel's 6.5 percent inflation rate on the government.
Brazil targets inflation of 8.5 percent in 2003
Brazil's central bank said on Tuesday it would steer monetary policy to target a year-end inflation rate of 8.5 percent, more than double its original goal but still below market forecasts for 2003.
Bank of Israel accused of generating instability
Israel's Ministry of Finance on Thursday launched a fierce attack on the Bank of Israel, saying the central bank had failed to meet inflation targets and at times had a destabilising effect on the market.
World Bank backs Japan inflation targeting
James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, said on Thursday that it was sensible for Japan to use monetary policy to reverse deflation, amid debate among Japanese policymakers about the introduction of an inflation target. Outgoing BoJ governor…
UK Treasury Committee - Review inflation targeting
The UK's House of Commons Treasury Select Committee on Thursday criticised Chancellor Gordon Brown's economic policy and suggested a review of the Bank of England's inflation target.
Issing: CPI risks balanced, downside growth risks
The European Central Bank still believes euro-zone economic growth will gradually recover this year, while inflation will slowly fall back below 2%, ECB Chief Economist Otmar Issing said in a speech on Monday.
New bank chief vows to control Brazil's inflation
Henrique Meirelles, who took over as president of Brazil's central bank on Tuesday said a tight grip would be kept on inflation but said it might take longer than expected to meet current targets. He also reassured investors he would be backed by…
Call for Bank of Japan to adopt inflation target
The Japanese government will urge the Bank of Japan to adopt an inflation target, an influential member of the ruling Liberal Democratic party said Sunday. The comments follow those of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda who said last week that an…
Broaddus on monetary policy with low inflation
SPEECH - In the speech 'Comments on Monetary Policy in a Low Inflation Environment' J. Alfred Broaddus of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said much of the progress in monetary policy over the last two decades is due to exceptionally strong…
Bye bye, Buba
ARTICLE - This article says the ECB should scrap money supply targeting, its "first pillar" and reduce it to the role of an indicator. It also promotes a looser inflation target, with a change to a symmetrical rate perhaps as high as 3 per cent with 1…
Brazil raises interest rates by 3 points to 25%
Brazil's central bank on Wednesday increased its key interest rate by 3 percentage points to 25 per cent in an effort to crush growing inflation as the government-elect pledged to press ahead with central bank reforms and austerity measures. It is the…
Bank of England Inflation Attitudes Survey, Nov 02
REPORT - The Bank of England's November 2002 quarterly Inflation Attitudes Survey was published on 16 December. The survey measures public attitudes to inflation in the UK. The latest survey shows 56% of respondents think the 2.5% inflation target is…
Chicago Fed's Economic Outlook Symposium
REPORT - Economic growth in 2003 will be slightly above the rate in 2002, while the unemployment rate will be unchanged and inflation will be higher next year, according to the median forecast of participants at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's…
UK inflation rate hits four-year high of 2.8%
UK inflation jumped in November to its highest level in more than four years. In its recent inflation report the Bank of England said that the rate was likely to rise in the short term but fall back towards the 2.5 per cent target at the end of 2003.
ECB overhaul raises hopes of softer price target
The ECB has often been criticised as slow to react with interest rate moves. But with the constraint of a narrow inflation target its hands have been tied, restricting its ability to provide the euro zone economies with the stimulus they need. But now we…
ECB's Papademos backs inflation target
Recent criticism that the European Central Bank's inflation target is too ambitious is unwarranted, ECB Vice President Lucas Papademos said on Monday. His comments appear to go against the proposed re-appraisal of the Bank's inflation target.