News/Regulation
Czech ex-minister, ex-head of bank blamed
CZECH REPUBLIC - Ex-Finance Minister Pavel Mertlik and CNB central bank ex-governor Josef Tosovsky are responsible for the forced administration imposed on the IPB [Investicni a postovni banka - Investment and Post Bank] bank last June and its…
Fiscal intelligence may not apply to Russian bank
RUSSIA - A fiscal intelligence service should be created in Russia but not within law enforcement agencies or the Central Bank, First Vice-Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said.
Indonesia may delay central bank law debate
INDONESIA - The Indonesian government might seriously consider a parliamentary proposal to delay debating controversial central bank law amendments.
Search on for new European Central Bank President
EUROPE - Yesterday, 28 June, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg confirmed that he was approached about the job, although he said he wouldn't want it. Mr. Juncker's comments are viewed by the media as the first evidence the European Union…
Japanese regulator penalises Goldman
JAPAN - Japanese regulators slapped heavy penalties on Goldman Sachs on 27 June after the US bank admitted it had misquoted prices in the online warrants market in Tokyo, as reported in the FT London.
Grasser-Duisenberg succession talk no help to euro
EUROPE - Austrian Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser said on 29 June that the debate about who will succeed Wim Duisenberg as president of the European Central Bank was not helping the euro.
Hong Kong Financial Secretary meets ECB President
GERMANY - Hong Kong's Financial Secretary, Mr Antony Leung, held talks on 27 June with the President of the European Central Bank, Mr Willem Duisenberg.
Regulator unveils Japan bank stock buying fund
JAPAN - Japan's top financial regulator on 26 June unveiled plans for a fund to soak up massive amounts of shares owned by banks to cut their exposure to an uncertain stock market, giving Japan's economic reforms a nudge forward.
Basel II - Feedback to the Committee
The Basel Committee received over 230 comments on its January 2001 draft capital accord. All of these are posted on the Committee's website - we pick out some of hte notable comments.
Chilean economy minister leaves post for bank seat
CHILE - Chile's Economy Minister Jose de Gregorio announced late on 18 June that he will step down from his post in order to seek congressional approval to join the Central Bank's five-member monetary policymaking board.
Basle 2 'rules will leave banks short of capital'
SWITZERLAND - New rules on the amount of capital international banks must hold have been criticised as failing to meet necessary standards for the regulation of the global banking industry. It is suggested that banks will have an incentive to 'game' the…
Bank of England - Basle can undermine stability
UK - The Bank of England has issued a warning over new capital rules put together by the Basle committee of bank regulators.
New board of directors at Bank of Uganda
UGANDA - Tumusime Mutebile has been appointed as the new governor of the Bank of Uganda.
World Bank cancels Barcelona conference
SPAIN - The World Bank has decided to suspend its Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE) in Europe, due to be held in Barcelona on June 25-27, to avoid protests from anti-capitalist groups that had stated their intention to disrupt the…
Readiness for euro may be falling
EUROPE - Fewer European companies say they are ready for the introduction of euro notes and coins now than a year ago, according to a survey of big businesses in the euro-zone.
Basel Accord set to be softened
COMMENT - Discussions are under way within the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on how to lessen the impact of their new capital rules after complaints that the new accord would create impossible demands on banks during recessions.
Bank of Estonia OKs takeover
The Estonian central bank today indicated that it would allow Swedish-owned Hansapank to take over Lithuanian Taupomasis Bankas.
Roles of Thai central bank likely to be separated
THAILAND - Thai Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said on 14 May that the central bank of Thailand will likely be separated into two independent organisations under a revised restructuring plan that he drafted.
Former Bank of Thailand governors face prosecution
According to Thailand's deputy finance minister, senior former officials from the Bank of Thailand my soon face prosecution for their role in the 1997 currrency crisis.
MAS to welcome more foreign banks
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the new managaing director of Singarpore's monetary authority, has indicated that the authority plans to issue more banking licenses to foreign banks.
Lamfalussy reforms in jeopardy
Proposals designed to speed up European securities market regulation are in trouble after the European Commission rejected a deal proposed by the European Parliament.
Former BI governor interviewed over graft case
According to a report in the Jakata Post, former Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Adrianus Mooy was interviewed by the Indonesian Attorney General on Monday 1 May over a graft case involving state-owned investment company PT Bahana Pembinaan Usaha Indonesia …
IMF reinvents itself - latest
At their Spring annual meetings in Washington DC, the IMF has released a paper "The IMF in the Process of Change" on the Fund's progress in reinventing itself as a financial sector crisis manager.
HKMA gets green light on HK deposit insurance
HONG KONG - Hong Kong's Executive Council has approved in principle a deposit insurance scheme proposal aimed at protecting depositors in the case of bank failures, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said on Apr 24.