Monetary Policy
RBA's Macfarlane to give speech on 22 March
AUSTRALIA - Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Ian Macfarlane has two speeches scheduled in coming weeks, his first public outings since December.
Chile central bank cuts rates 75 bp to 4.75%
CHILE - Chile's Central Bank lowered its benchmark monetary policy lending rate 75 basis points to a nominal 4.75% at a monthly policy making meeting Tuesday.
Speech by Yutaka Yamaguchi, Bank of Japan, 7 Mar
JAPAN - In the speech Yamaguchi offers his views on systemic risk conceding that he may have raised more questions than provided answers for central banks. He stresses that central banks must continue to pursue these issues to discharge their…
Speech by William Poole, St Louis Fed Bank, 8 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'The Role of Finance in the Investment Bust of 2001' Poole likens the current recession to the coldness of space and the planet pluto in particular. Are we in "the pluto recession"? "The astronomers argue about whether Pluto…
Are we in recession? No we're on the planet Pluto
US - Amid the was it or wasn't it debate about the U.S. recession, a senior Federal Reserve official has coined a new phrase for the economic downturn that began last March, dubbing it: "the Pluto recession."
Tokyo sees light at end of tunnel
JAPAN - Japan's longest recession since 1993 may be slowly coming to an end as inventories are run down and companies gear up for a faster-than-expected US and European recovery, according to Heizo Takenaka, economics minister.
Speech by T Latter, Deputy Chief Exec HKMA, 12 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Why blame the peg?' Latter defended Hong Kong's association with the US dollar saying that the Hong Kong dollar's peg to the U.S. currency was "the most appropriate monetary anchor for Hong Kong."
ECB Working Paper Series
RESEARCH - Non-standard central bank loss functions, skewed risks, and certainty equivalence, by Ali al-Nowaihi and Livio Stracca, March 2002.
Speech by David Dodge of Bank of Canada, 12 Mar
SPEECH - Dodge said in the speech titled 'Monetary Policy Choices: The Canadian Experience' that the worst of the economic downturn was over, and said that the bank was accelerating its timetable for forecast economic recovery.
Bank of Canada Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Canada Governor Reviews Canadian Monetary Policy Choices, 12 March.
Speech by Fed Reserve Governor Mark Olson, 12 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'Current Industry Issues' Olson agreed with views many central bankers have expressed recently when he said that "for the past few months we have seen clear indication that economic conditions are improving and we are either…
Review of a new book on Monetary Policy
BOOK REVIEW - Monetary Policy Goals, Institutions, Strategies, and Instruments by Peter Bofinger published by Oxford University Press.
Olson - US economy at or near end of down phase
US - Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson said on Tuesday recent reports over the past few months show the downturn that hit the U.S. economy last year has likely bottomed out.
Bank of Canada brightens economic forecast
CANADA - Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge declared on Tuesday that the worst of the economic downturn was over, in a speech that suggested the bank was accelerating its timetable for forecast economic recovery.
Domingo Solans says ECB monetary policy credible
SPAIN - The credibility of the European Central Bank's (ECB) monetary policy is demonstrated by the euro zone's low inflation, ECB executive board member Eugenio Domingo Solans said on Saturday.
RBI to review primary dealership arena
INDIA - Our Banking Bureau Mumbai After taking an in-principle decision to discontinue the satellite dealers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to review primary dealers (PDs) in terms of their number, obligations, activities and regulation, said Y…
ECB Issing says eurozone econ hit bottom in '01
FRANCE - Europe's economic slowdown hit bottom at the end of last year and growth should be back above 2% by the end of 2002, European Central Bank Chief Economist Otmar Issing says in an interview with Les Echos Tuesday.
Labour mismatches plague euro zone
GERMANY - Austria has too many construction workers and too few hairdressers. France suffers from an abundance of woodworkers but a shortage of nurses. These are some of the findings of an ECB report published today.
Japan to name two businessmen to BOJ board-sources
JAPAN - The Japanese government has provisionally decided to name two businessmen to the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) policy-setting board to replace members whose terms expire at the end of the month, according to sources, Reuters reports Tuesday.
Shiokawa - New anti-deflation steps to be concrete
JAPAN - A new round of anti-deflation steps being prepared by Japan's ruling coalition will likely flesh out the plan to combat falling prices already announced by the government, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday.
Australia's Macfarlane moves Reserve goal posts
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia governor advised the Australian Government against repayments of borrowed US dollars.
Investors in Belgian national bank head for courts
BELGIUM - Banque Nationale de Belgique (BNB) is likely to find itself taken to court by its minority investors, claims Financial News in London.
Bill seeks changes to central bank act
PHILIPPINES - A senator has filed before the Senate a measure that seeks to amend the charter governing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
BIS Quarterly Review, March 2002
REPORT - Bank for International Settlements, Quarterly Review, International Banking and Financial Market Developments, released 11 March 2002.