Monetary Policy
Fed governor sees no deflation threat in US
Federal Reserve governor Ben Bernanke said on Saturday May 31 that the prospects for the US economy were good and expected growth in the second half of this year of between 3.0 and 3.5 percent, rising to four percent in 2004, according to Channel News…
Turkish PM blames central bank over exchange rate
The Turkish prime minister has apparently laid blame for the fall in the countries exchange rate at the door of the central bank, according to NTV Televsion, Turkey. He said that having to cut interest rates made it even more difficult to raise the…
Pakistan pledges to train Afghan bankers
The head of the central bank of Afghanistan Anwar Ahadi arrived in Pakistan on Sunday on a mission to boost economic cooperation between the two countries, according to a report by the Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Solomons cb wants parliament to discuss economy
Rick Hou, governor of the Solomon Islands central bank, has called on parliament to arrange a meeting to discuss the problems facing the country. He described the country's fiscal situation as drifting into deeper water, according to Solomon Islands…
Eurozone inflation drops to 1.9%
Inflation in the Eurozone fell below the ECB's 2 per cent target for only the second time last month according to Eurostat, the Associated Press reports.
Bush tells G8 would prefer stronger dollar
At the G8 summit on Monday 2 June, George Bush said he was committed to maintaining a strong dollar but that ultimately he wasn't the one who decides it. That job fell to Alan Greenspan, Reuters reported Mr Bush as saying.
Zimbabwe's central bank chief resigns
Zimbabwe's central bank governor, Leonard Tsumba, has gone on leave with immediate effect. He planned to retire at the end of July but reports say he stepped down after criticism over the bank note shortage Zimbabwe currently faces, according to AFP.
Poole on US labour market and economic growth
In a speech on 'The Labor Market and Economic Growth' William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said the US has the potential to grow substantially over the next several years, and that a major part of that growth will come from growth of…
Deflation is a "matter of national choice"
In an article published in the Financial Times Avinash Persaud says attempts by the Japanese to inflate their economy fail because Japan is a nation of creditors.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, April 2003
CFNAI Shows Economy Weak in April - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index declined in April, with the monthly index coming in at -0.85. Weak employment- and production-related data were the main factors behind April's negative reading. Although the…
Copom blames inflation for interest rate inaction
The central bank of Brazil said on Thursday 29 May that its decision to hold interest rates last week was down to "persistent inflation". AEBrazil reported that minutes released by the bank said it is premature to conclude that inflationary pressure has…
Bangladesh currency, the taka, to float
From Saturday 31 May Bangladesh will float the taka freely on the foreign exchange markets, the BBC reported. The announcement on Thursday came after the government agreed to a proposal to float made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Zimbabwe central bank prints emergency cash
Zimbabwe's bank note producers are working non-stop to bring an end to the cash shortage after extra printing paper arrived in Harare on Thursday. The governor of the central bank told Zimbabweans not to panic, the BBC reported.
Thai central bank chief: Baht is now stable
Thailand's central bank governor said on Friday 30 May that the baht has gained stability against the dollar following its recent appreciation, according to Dow Jones.
IMF's Kohler proposes Carstens as deputy MD
IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler proposeed the appointment of Mexico's Deputy Secretary of Finance Agustin Carstens as Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, 29 May.
IMF's Rogoff – dollar decline a good thing
Ken Rogoff, the iMF's chief economist, welcomed the fall in the dollar on Thursday 29 May, saying it is good for the world economy but may pose problems for Germany with deflation, according to a Reuters report.
Dubai to ban protestors from IMF-World Bank mtg
The Dubai authorities have said they will prevent protestors from entering the UAE during the September 2003 joint meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, according to Sapa-AFP. Up to 20,000 people, including around 25 heads of state…
Korean economy in serious condition: BOK governor
Governor Park Seung of the Bank of Korea said on Thursday 29 May that low growth and high unemployment pose a threat to the economy which has been heading toward a downturn since the third quarter of last year, according to the Korea Times.
Survey says number of forex players may fall
A future with fewer players in the global foreign exchange market is the main finding of a new survey, says a report by Chris Swann, former foreign exchange correspondent at the Financial Times. CentralBankNet takes a look at the main findings of the…
Parry on prospects for the economy
In a speech on 'Prospects for the National and Local Economies: A Monetary Policymaker's View' Robert Parry of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco said a bright spot in the national economy is consumer spending and the most likely outcome, in his…
Economic Insights from the Dallas Fed
The latest edition of the Dallas Fed's Economic Insights, Vol 8, No 2, 2003 'The Creation of Public Choice Theory', profiles economist James M. Buchanan and examines his public choice theory.
Should Iraq dollarize or float? A policy analysis
This article from Stern Business School asks 'Should Iraq dollarize, adopt a currency board or let its currency float? A policy analysis.' It says there are good reasons to think that the dollar or euro would not make an ideal currency for a major oil…
Former Russian c banker appointed to Sistema board
Ex-president of the central bank of Russia Viktor Gerashchenko has become a member of the Consultative Board of the Sistema joint-stock financial corporation, according to a report by the ITAR-TASS news agency.
ECB economist - Deflation concerns are excessive
Otmar Issing of the European Central Bank said on Wednesday 28 May that deflation concerns are excessive and that currently, this is like a Pavlovian reflect, according to a report by Reuters.