Monetary Policy
Sweden inflation above expectation - Persson
SWEDEN - Swedish inflation is higher than the central bank had expected because it may have over-estimated the economy's production capacity, deputy central bank governor Kristina Persson said on Thursday.
Kidnapped central bank president is released
GUATEMALA - Lizardo Sosa, head of the Guatemalan Central Bank, was released Thursday after family members paid a "minimal" ransom to the kidnappers who grabbed him three days ago, according to the latest official account.
German minister sees early UK use of euro
GERMANY - Hans Eichel, Germany's finance minister, yesterday predicted that Britain would join the euro "in the not too distant future", in comments likely to renew debate on the single currency.
Koizumi criticised for slow pace of reform
JAPAN - A key adviser to Japan's Junichiro Koizumi yesterday criticised the prime minister for lacking concrete plans for structural reform and failing to implement the pledges he made on coming to office in April.
MPC member sees room for interest rate fall
FEATURE - Kate Barker's views go against the consensus in financial markets, however.
Speech by Roger Ferguson, Federal Reserve, 27 Feb
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'A Review of Economic Developments in 2001 and the Economic Outlook' Ferguson said "signs of economic recovery are increasing" and added that U.S. consumer spending had helped the economy to stabilize, noting that low…
Fed's Ferguson sees signs of U.S. recovery
US - Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson said on Wednesday that signs of a U.S. economic recovery were increasing, but that a revival in business investment held the key to the contours of the rebound.
Final day for euro changeover
EUROPE - Two months after it was introduced as a cash currency on 1 January 2002, the euro will finally become the sole legal tender in the 12 countries in the eurozone.
Currencies consigned to history
FEATURE - "A piece of Europe in our hands" is how Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, greeted the launch of the euro.
Federal Reserve Board Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Reserve Board announced on Wednesday that the Consumer Advisory Council will hold its next meeting on Thursday, March 14. The meeting will take place in Dining Room E, Terrace level, in the Board's Martin Building. The session…
Pakistan's central bank governor doing 'fine'
PAKISTAN - Following on from a heart attack scare recently we learn that Dr Ishrat Husain is now doing fine.
BofE's George gives evidence at Treasury Committee
FEATURE - Giving evidence to the UK House of Commons Treasury Committee on Thursday, Sir Edward George, Governor of the Bank of England, said he anticipates recovery for the UK economy but that it would be slow.
Welteke: Past rate cuts will still show effect
GERMANY - Current price developments in the euro zone are "positive", but past interest rate cuts have yet to fully show their effect, Deutsche Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke said Wednesday.
Speech by Sirkka Hamalainen of the ECB, 25 Feb
SPEECH - In the speech Hamalainen said the euro has been our money for over three years now and that this was long enough to have allowed the single currency to be tested in a fairly wide range of circumstances.
Auditing guide on banks
IRELAND - Auditors of banks have been issued with guidance notes to help them decide when they should report matters of concern to the Central Bank. Similar practice notes from the Auditing Practices Board will be issued for the auditing of insurers and…
Interview with Anne Krueger of the IMF
INTERVIEW - Anne Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, Le Monde Economie, 18 February.
Manchester United player joins eurozone collection
FEATURE - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Manchester United has teamed up with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on his return from Europe to collect soon-to-be obsolete currency.
Aide warns over euro politics
UK - One of Chancellor Gordon Brown's closest aides has warned against allowing political pressures to influence the government's approach to the euro.
German recession confirmed
GERMANY - The German economy is officially in recession, according to official figures which have confirmed two successive quarters of contraction.
Nikkei soars ahead of deflation plan
JAPAN - Japan's top economic policy makers are meeting to finalise moves to curb spiralling deflation and stabilise the stock market.
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Monetary developments in the euro area: January 2002, 27 February 2002.
Bank of Japan research paper
RESEARCH - Research from the Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan. Japan's Financial System: Its Perspective and the Authorities' Roles in Redesigning and Administering the System. By Naohiko Baba and Takamasa Hisada, February 2002.
Testimony of Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, 27 Feb
TESTIMONY - In his testimony before Congress Greenspan said the U.S. economic rebound this year is likely to be slightly weaker than Wall Street expects because the recovery may be restrained by a lack of consumer demand, industrial overcapacity and…
Monetary Policy Report to the Congress
REPORT - Federal Reserve Board Monetary Policy Report to the Congress, 27 February.