Monetary Policy
Belgium growth at 3.1% in 3Q down on 2Q
The Belgian economy grew 3.1% on the year in the third quarter, down from 4.6% in the second quarter and from 3.5% in the third quarter of 1999, the Belgian National Bank said Wednesday.
Malaysia can keep lid on interest rates - Zeti
Malaysia can keep a lid on interest rates because of its low inflation and monetary policy is likely to remain accomodative to growth, Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said on Wednesday.
Bbk Zeitler: Continue reforms to reverse weak euro
The euro's current weakness is "completely surmountable" if national governments in the 11-nation euro area continue to press ahead with structural reforms, Bundesbank council member Franz-Christoph Zeitler said Wednesday.
Sarkissian: Price stability will be maintained
The head of Armenia's central bank said that stability in the financial markets will be maintained when the government spends 8 bln drams from the privatisation fund in order to cover social expenses and other financial inflows in December 2000.
Romanian c.bank to cut min. reserve rates-bankers
Romanian commercial bankers said on Wednesday the central bank was expected to gradually cut the rate on minimum reserve requirements starting this year.
Belarus c.bank to cut key rate to 80% 1 December
Belarus's central bank said on Wednesday it would lower its key refinancing rate to 80% annually from 85 percent, effective December 1.
RBNZ wants words to talk louder than numbers
New Zealand's Reserve Bank Wednesday announced changes to the format of its quarterly monetary policy statements, underscoring its desire to shift public focus of its monetary policy away from the short to the medium term.
BSP chief sees November inflation at 5%-5.5%
November inflation is expected to come in at between 5% and 5.5% due to a weaker peso, the Bangko Sentral Philippines yesterday said.
Bank of England warns on tax cuts
The Bank of England, the UK central bank, has warned that it is premature to rule out further interest rate rises and threatened an immediate response if the government makes big pre-election tax cuts.
Venezuela cenbank director sees boom on horizon
Venezuela is "on the edge of an economic boom," predicts central bank director Armando Leon.
El Salvador move to dollars seen risky but viable
El Salvador must keep a tight rein on government spending to succeed with a controversial plan to introduce the US dollar into general use and jump-start its economy, economic analysts say.
ECB to mull raising M3 target to 5%
Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke said on Tuesday that the European Central Bank would discuss raising the reference value for M3 monetary growth to 5% from 4.5% at its December 14 meeting.
Riksbank says rate hike will come sooner or later
Villy Bergstroem, deputy governor of Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, Tuesday reiterated earlier Riksbank statements that an interest rate hike will come sooner or later.
Euro more likely to recover than weaken-BoE's King
Europe's single currency was more likely to recover against other key currencies than to fall further, Mervyn King, deputy governor of the Bank of England, said on Tuesday.
Fed's Poole says preemptive Fed action crucial
St. Louis Federal Reserve President William Poole said on Tuesday the US central bank should monitor underlying causes of inflation such as money supply growth to help prevent price pressures from flaring up.
Central Bank of Nigeria slashes minimum rediscount
For the third time this year, the Central Bank of Nigeria has slashed the minimum rediscount rate from 16% to 14%, in a bid to encourage banks to reduce their lending rates.
Iran growth rate at 5%, says central bank
Iran's central bank governor said the economic growth rate stood at 5% in the current Iranian year, state radio reported on Tuesday.
ECB may intervene again - still upward price risks
The European Central Bank is ready to intervene again in foreign exchange markets if it deems it to be necessary, Bundesbank president and ECB governing council member Ernst Welteke said Tueday.
Guatemala moves towards opening up greenback use
Guatemala's ruling Republican Front (FRG) on Tuesday presented a bill to Congress proposing the liberalisation of the country's foreign exchange markets, as the first step toward dollarising the Central American economy.
BOE: Joining euro means return to tax and spend
Sir Eddie George, the governor of the Bank of England, said that the government would have to rely more on taxation and spending policy to control the economy if Britain joined the euro.
Bank of Japan can learn from Sweden on inflation
In a letter to the editor in Financial Times today, Professor Lars Jonung argues that the Bank of Japan can learn from the Riksbank in adopting a zero inflation target.
Stiffer tests for future Eurozone members -Welteke
Ernst Welteke, president of the Bundesbank, has raised concerns about whether the countries preparing to join the European Union in the next few years would be ready to become members of the EU's single currency.
IMF says Turkey policy on track
The International Monetary Fund said in a statement released on its website that the Turkish government's IMF-supported economic programme was on track and is expected to remain so.
Euro has been a success - Banque de France Trichet
Bank of France governor Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday that the euro has been a success since its launch. In a speech in Tokyo, Trichet said that the single European currency has been both a technical success, and a "benchmarking" success - in that the…