Monetary policy
SA expected to continue easing after 100bps
The South African Reserve Bank acted in line with market expectations on Thursday by cutting 100 basis points off its main rate - a move which it is now forecast to repeat in May after the governor signalled the economy was in recession.
Banks right to lend cautiously: BoE's Barker
The British government's strategy of encouraging British banks to lend received a setback on Wednesday after Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), said that she could understand their reluctance to lend.
ECB council members signal May cut
Two of the members of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council have signalled that the central bank will cut again next month and may introduce further measures to soothe credit conditions.
Philippines' Tetangco mindful of inflation
Monetary policy in 2009 will continue to pursue prudent rate movements mindful of price stability as the primary mandate, Amando Tentangco, the governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines, has said.
RBI's Mohan wants rethink on asset-price bubbles
The relationship between monetary policy and asset prices needs to be revisited, said Rakesh Mohan, a deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Canada suffers record contraction
Canada's GDP contracted by an annualised rate of 7.3% in the first quarter of 2009, the fastest rate on record, according to the Bank of Canada.
Indian cut smaller than expected
The Reserve Bank of India cut interest rates by a quarter point on Tuesday, less than many observers had been predicting.
Icelandic rate setters divided on April cut
Iceland monetary-policy makers voted four to one to cut rates by 150 basis points, minutes of the April meeting revealed.
Monetary policy in turbulent times
The global financial crisis has hit the British economy hard, but this does not mean monetary policy should change its focus, said Andrew Sentance, a member of the Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee.
Crisis revealed SNB rate policy strength: Roth
The Swiss National Bank's (SNB) unique monetary policy proved useful in staving off a worsening of credit conditions in the wake of the financial crisis, Jean-Pierre Roth, the chairman of the central bank's governing board, has said.
Sweden cuts rates to record 0.5%
The Riksbank cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to an all-time low of 0.5% on 21 April.
SF Fed's Yellen: rates may have to burst bubbles
Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, has acknowledged that rate hikes may be necessary to counter asset-price bubbles, challenging a central tenet of the Greenspan-era Fed and her own previously-held views.
Bank of Finland - Annual Report 2008
The financial crisis has placed every aspect of the Bank of Finland's operational capacity under pressure, notes the central bank's latest Annual Report.
Inflation targeting not enough: BoE's Barker
Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has acknowledged that inflation targeting alone cannot produce economic stability.
Iceland's Oygard optimistic on recovery
Svein Oygard, the new governor of the Central Bank of Iceland, is confident that the country can become an exemplar of how to conduct a swift economic recovery.
Nigeria cuts for first time in seven months
The Central Bank of Nigeria sliced 175 basis points off its key interest rate on Thursday with the scarcity of credit outweighing concerns over inflation.
Iceland cuts by 150 basis points
The Central Bank of Iceland cut its policy rate by one and half basis points to 15.5% on Wednesday, the second cut in less than a month.
UK opposition moots change to BoE price target
Britain's main opposition party has indicated that it will review the Bank of England's inflation target if it comes to power.
Depth of Icelandic cut limited on krona concern
Members of the Central Bank of Iceland's monetary policy committee decided unanimously to cut the key policy rate by a full percentage point to 17% but resisted a steeper move owing to caution about the impact on the currency, the minutes for the 17 and…
Turkey justifies cut to record low
The Central Bank of Turkey cut rates by 100 basis points to an all-time low earlier this month on signs that the global economic outlook continued to deteriorate and the depression was expected to be long lasting, the minutes for the 19 March meeting…
Europe's and Japan's fiscal actions procyclical
Discretionary fiscal policy tended to be procyclical in continental European countries and Japan, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
More interest-rate info from Chile's De Gregorio
As part of its process of increasing transparency, the Central Bank of Chile has improved the level of detail of interest rate information being made available, said Jose De Gregorio, the governor of the Central Bank of Chile.
A guide for would-be MPC members
An ability to challenge convention, courage in one's convictions and a thick skin are some of the qualities essential for Monetary Policy Committee members, two external members of the Bank of England's committee have said.
South African Reserve Bank - Quarterly Bulletin
South Africa cannot escape the negative consequences of the international financial turmoil, notes the South African Reserve Bank's March Quarterly Bulletin.