Financial Stability
Kenyan central bank set to monitor telecoms IPO
The Kenyan government has handed the Central Bank of Kenya the task of ensuring that the initial public offering (IPO) of Safaricom, the country's leading mobile phone firm, does not adversely impact the financial system.
De Rato's final speech presents gloomy outlook
Rodrigo de Rato, the outgoing managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said on Monday that the recent banking crisis has exposed weaknesses and will hamper growth in the coming years.
EMU leads to bond-market convergence
Economic and monetary union in Europe has led to substantial convergence in euro-area sovereign bond markets, according to research published by the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
Greenback now worth a million Zimbabwean dollars
A single US dollar is now said to be worth 1 million of its Zimbabwean counterparts on the black market.
Northern Rock's BoE debt rises to £16 billion
Northern Rock has borrowed a further £3 billion ($6.1 billion) from the Bank of England this week, the Bank's balance sheet reveals.
Japan will weather banking crisis, says Mizuno
There is little chance of the recent banking crisis adversely affecting the Japanese economy according to Atsushi Mizuno, the most hawkish member of the central bank's current rate-setting board.
Russian central bank supports bond market
Sergey Ignatiev, the governor of the Central Bank of Russia, has said the central bank bought R46 billion-worth ($1.84 billion) of federal government bonds in September to ease tension in the banking sector.
Central Bank News defends "boring central bankers"
The Financial Times on Wednesday published Central Bank News's response Wolfgang Munchau's piece in Monday's newspaper, "Boring central bankers got us into this mess", which blamed central bankers for the current credit crisis.
Too early to call crisis impact: Ireland's Hurley
John Hurley, the governor of the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland, reviewed the impact of the recent banking crisis on the eurozone.
Competition found to impact bank risk
Banking stability may be undermined by competition, according to research published today by the San Francisco Fed.
BoE should have helped earlier: Rock chief
Adam Applegath, the chief executive of Northern Rock, said on Tuesday that injections by the Bank of England earlier on could have mitigated Northern Rock's problems.
Wellink calls for speedy ABN break-up
Nout Wellink, the governor of the Netherlands Bank, has urged the three banks who have taken over ABN AMRO to quickly implement their plans to break it up.
Former financial stability adviser returns to Bank
Alastair Clark, a former executive director at the Bank of England, is to rejoin the Bank to advise Mervyn King, the governor, on financial stability.
Turmoil not likely to hamper growth, says Mboweni
South Africa's economy will continue to prosper in spite of the recent global banking crisis because of its favourable macroeconomic position, said Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank.
Latin America set to escape worst of turmoil
Rodrigo de Rato, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expects Latin America to avoid most of the effects of the recent financial turmoil, though its economy may be hampered by the aftermath.
King names lessons learned from crisis
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, said on Tuesday he had identified three lessons, so far, from the banking crisis.
Instability fundamentals have weathered revolution
The financial fundamentals that hold the key to the dynamics of instability remain despite three decades-worth of structural change in the system, according to research published by the Bank for International Settlements.
Speed up on SEPA: ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell
Banks need to step up their efforts if they are to be prepared for the launch of the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) on 1 January next year, according to Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
King speaks on Northern Rock
Three weeks ago, thousands of depositors queued on the streets outside branches of Northern Rock to take their money out. Those scenes, broadcast around the world, were shocking. How did they come about and how can we prevent them in future? My focus…
Open-ended guarantee for Northern Rock depositors
At the request of Northern Rock, the UK Treasury has agreed to extend the guarantee arranged in mid-September for retail depositors to any new deposits savers make or have made since 19 September. The guarantee will remain in place "during the current…
Convergence makes Europe more resilient - Trichet
The adoption of the single currency has made the eurozone far more resilient to external developments than its individual member countries were, according to Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank.
Padoa-Schioppa to chair IMFS
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italy's economy and finance minister, is to head the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC).
Israel to print plastic notes
The Bank of Israel said its next issue of 20 sheqel notes will be on polypropylene, a type of plastic.
Ex-Nigerian finance minister rejoins World Bank
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance and foreign minister in Nigeria, is set to become a managing director at the World Bank.