Opinion/Central Banks
News from SIBOS banking conference
Jean-Michel Godeffroy, director general of payment systems at the European Central Bank, was at the centre of several key debates at the SIBOS conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday 7 September.
Comment: How to account for gold?
Opinions on whether gold is a good investment for central banks vary, but what is beyond dispute is that the different methods of accounting for gold in their balance sheets and income statements is a source of endless confusion.
Comment: Central banks scrutinize staff costs
How do central banks compare on staff costs? Central Banking Publications has compiled some figures for a group of countries (mainly OECD) using central banks' annual reports.
Comment: The Benefits of Joining the EMU
What is the gain for new European Union member states of joining the Euro currency area so soon? This is the question asked by Federico Ravenna in a recent ECB working paper*. The author argues that the decision to become part of the monetary union is…
Europe's unstable currency union?
John Nugee writes on how a "one size fits all" interest rate policy in the Eurozone can exacerbate divergence between economies.
Pricking a housing bubble, Australian style
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Ian Macfarlane has declared victory in the fight to deflate one of the world's most obvious housing bubbles, according to this article published on Wednesday 17 August. In fact, he is so confident he has succeeded that…
ECB behind BoE, Fed on clarity; must reveal more
This article published on Thursday 18 August reveals the results of a poll of economists and academics who were asked to compare the ECB with the Bank of England, U.S. Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan for clarity of communication.
Comment: Governments eye foreign reserves
Two dimensions of official sector reserves receive a lot of attention in the press, in policy circles and from market analysts: foreign reserves held by central banks and public pension funds.
Comment: Views on King's gambit
Here is a roundup comments on the Bank of England's publication of the minutes of the latest MPC meeting, which revealed that, for the first time in the committee's history, the governor voted with the minority (see yesterday's CentralBankNet).
Comment: Why Foreign Reserve Portfolios Matter
What do recent trends in official reserve management imply for foreign exchange markets and the conduct and coordination of monetary policy across the globe?
A punch bowl made in China
China is supplying a punch bowl to keep the party going despite the Federal Reserve's best efforts, according to an article published on Wednesday 10 August. So consumers can thank Beijing and other Asian central banks for all the cheap credit, it says.
COMMENT BY CENTRALBANKNET
The fear that demand in many leading economies has been sustained only by a housing and real estate "bubble" is often seen as one of the biggest risks facing monetary policymakers.
Is Japan ready for 50-year debt?
The Japanese government bond market is the world's biggest, but also among the least international, according to this article published on Monday 8 August. Perhaps the U.S. Treasury's move to issue new 30-year debt early next year will encourage Japan to…
The future of EMU: one size fits none?
According to the forthcoming edition of Central Banking, inflation and output gap differentials have grown between European states since the inception of the EMU in 1999. If these continue to worsen, the resulting tensions would put a big strain on…
Central bankers stand on the front line
This article looks at the response of central banks to terrorist attacks. It says that an interest rate cut by the Bank of England last week when the chaos was at its peak, might have added to the sense of panic.
Trichet on the ECB - five ideas
In an article published last week European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said that he is not preparing markets for either a cut or an increase in interest rates.
Iraq's central bank builds credibility
The strength of their currency is one solid economic achievement the Iraqis have to hold on to, according to this article. It attributes this remarkable level of stability to sound government policies - specifically the transformation of the Central Bank…
Key steps to African economic union
In this article South African Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni says the challenge is to ensure that SADC countries are ready and committed to implement the macroeconomic convergence programme while they develop the specialised skills and capacity to…
Has Greenspan changed views on bubble management?
This article asks whether Fed chief Alan Greenspan has changed his view that bubble management is strictly an ex-post job for a central banker? With cumulating signs of a bubble in the housing market, the Fed is dipping into its tool chest for some moral…
EU's referendum failure leaves ECB as scapegoat
EU politicians in need of a scapegoat after the rejection of the proposed constitution may be tempted to cast the European Central Bank in that role, says this article. And recent comments from ECB policymakers suggest its defences may be about to crack,…
Making the single currency a scapegoat
This article published on Sunday 5 June by Hamish McRae looks at the recent criticism of the single currency, and asks if the euro was a terrible mistake? The author says that while the eurozone is not going to collapse in the near future, 'it will…
Surprising transparency on Swiss gold sales
This article looks at the recent speech by Philipp Hildebrand on the Swiss National Bank's gold sales. The speech represented "amazing after-the-event transparency" it says.
Putting pressure on China's peg
A clamor of complaints from America's industrial heartland is galvanizing Washington into action, according to this article. But the big question is whether a stronger yuan will make much difference to the US economy, it says.