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Czech cbank cuts inflation fcast, leaves rates
The Czech central bank board, in the face of weaker price pressures, discussed the possibility of a rate cut at its regular weekly board meeting on Jan. 25 but left rates unchanged, vice-Governor Ludek Niedermayer said. Monetary department chief Ales…
Iceland cbank intervenes anew as crown falls more
Iceland's central bank said on Jan. 25 it intervened in the local foreign exchange market for the second day in a row, buying one billion Icelandic crowns ($11.51 million) to halt the crown's recent slide.
Portugal cbank warns govt on wages, inflation
Portugal's central bank on Jan. 25 delivered a slap on the wrist to the Socialistgovernment for raising state sector wages too much, saying itposed a risk to inflation. "The main risk to inflation forecasts comes from salariesand it would be extremely…
Eichel plans to strengthen role of Buba president
German Finance Minister Hans Eichel Jan. 25 presented his proposal for streamlining the Deutsche Bundesbank, aimed at strengthening the position of the bank's president at the expense of the nine regional bank heads. But likely opposition to the plans in…
Greenspan surprises with support for tax cuts
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan delivered some surprising support for President George W. Bush's call for a $1.6 trillion tax cut, saying tax cuts will benefit the economy in the long run."In today's context, where tax reduction appears…
Kuwait helps defend Lebanese pound with $100m
Kuwait has decided to deposit $100 million with Lebanon's central bank to help defend the Lebanese pound and raise depleted foreign reserves, the office of Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Jan. 25.Hariri's office said that the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab…
M&A Bank attracts attention of Austrian regulator
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Austrian finance supervisory authority has decided to bring forward a routine inspection of M&A Bank, a Vienna-based institution specialising in managing the assets of wealthy private customers. M&A Bank has attracted…
Yugoslavia to issue few licences to foreign banks
Yugoslavia's central bank saidon Jan. 25 it would issue only a few licenses to foreign bankswhile others would have to buy into existing ones, as part ofefforts to turn around the massively indebted sector."The National Bank of Yugoslavia will issue a…
Low inflation, US rates led to Brazil rate cut
Falling U.S. rates and confidence that inflation will fall to established targets this year prompted Brazil's central bank to cut interest rates for the second month running on Jan. 17, according to the minutes of the bank's policy meeting released Jan…
Greenspan-quicker Fed transcripts undesirable
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Jan. 25 the U.S. central bank should not be forced to more quickly release full transcripts of its monetary policy deliberations. The Fed currently releases the transcripts of Federal Open Market Committee…
Colombia cbank sees 01 inflation 7.6% vs 8.0% goal
Colombia's central bank projects inflation to fall to 7.6% this year and 6.9% in 2002, according to the body's December 2000 inflation report, released on Jan. 26, 2001. The 2001 figure is down from the official goal of 8.0% and year 2000 final result of…
IMF stresses need for BI independence
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reiterated on Jan. 25, 2001, the importance of maintaining the independence of Bank Indonesia and its monetary policy to ensure the recovery of the country's economy. "It's important for Indonesia to maintain the…
Szapary appointed vice president of Hungary cbank
Gyorgy Suranyi, head of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB), has nominated Gyorgy Szapary to be MNB vice president as of Feb. 21, 2001. Szapary is currently a consultant at the MNB, and held the post of MNB vice-president until 1999. However, Prime…
Croatia:HNB expects positive economic developments
The Croatian National Bank (HNB) expects positive changes in the economy to resume this year so that the GDP rate could grow by 4% and the export rate by 9%, HNB Governor Zeljko Rohatinski told the parliament on Jan. 24, 2001.
Slovenia should insist on IMF formula
There are no sound reasons for changing the IMF formula to divide the assets which used to belong to the former Yugoslavia and are currently deposited in the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), said the parliamentary finance committee on Jan. 24.
ECB has achieved price stability - Duisenberg
The European Central Bank (ECB) has achieved its overriding goal of achieving price stability in the euro area, reflecting a "substantial accomplishment," ECB President Wim Duisenberg said Jan. 24, 2001. The main focus of the ECB's monetary policy in the…
Differing views -Swedish participation in the euro
Although Sweden, unlike the United Kingdom and Denmark, does not have an opt-out authorising it to remain outside the Euro zone even if it were to meet all the convergence criteria, the country's Minister for External Trade, Leif Pagrotsky, has insisted…
UAE tightens up on forex
The UAE central bank has issued new directives raising the minimum capital for a new exchange house with limited liability to $13.6m, and the same sum for an existing exchange house to change its status to limited liability. In addition this capital must…
Two senior officials appointed at IADB
The Inter-American Development Bank announced on Jan. 24 the appointment of Guillermo Calvo as chief economist and head of the Research Department and Carlos M. Jarque as manager of the Sustainable Development Department.