FMI
Fijian annual report shows ‘huge decline’ in mobile money active agents
Reserve Bank of Fiji documents 84% decrease in registered active agents, while number of people registered for mobile money increased
Brazil and Paraguay near local currency payment system
Cross-border system could account for 5% of all trade between the countries; importers and exporters can use own currencies
Swiss RTGS update goes live
SNB hails successful launch of completely overhauled real-time gross settlement system; design has been made more flexible, incorporating ISO 20022 messaging standard
RBNZ signs up SIA to deliver RTGS replacement
Its subsidiary, Perago, will deliver payments infrastructure for New Zealand via “off-the-shelf” system used by Riksbank and Norges Bank
Malaysian deputy tells companies to provide ‘more than just a payment solution’
Muhammad bin Ibrahim stresses importance of financial institutions providing “value-added services” to their customers if they are to remain competitive
Fibre optics raise concentration of forex trading - paper
Barry Eichengreen and co-authors find technological gains from submarine fibre optic cables helped increase the concentration of foreign exchange trading
FSB intrigued by potential uses of distributed ledgers
Mark Carney says FSB members see ‘exciting opportunities’ in financial technology, including the potential for distributed ledgers to bring security and efficiency
Fed picks McKinsey to scrutinise faster payment proposals
Consultancy firm will assess options for a real-time system across the US, as task force members are invited to submit proposals
RBNZ proposes new powers over FMIs in times of crisis
Final crisis management plan proposal details two-tiered framework for FMIs; RBNZ and FMA would act if contingency plans not up to scratch
ECB’s Mersch provides update on infrastructure work
Yves Mersch says business requirements being gathered from market participants ahead of instant payments; highlights plans for review of harmonisation of collateralisation procedures
BoJ establishes working groups to consider how to make best use of BOJ-NET
Working group to look at ways to make effective use of settlement system; BOJ-NET to process more transactions across time zones
Bank of Japan ramps up efforts to prepare infrastructure for disaster
Central bank calls for examinations of business continuity plans, learning from the 2011 earthquake, in rare report on payments landscape; BOJ-NET extends operating time
RBNZ keeps settlement system due to lack of suitable bids
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will retain its securities settlement system and depository, despite hoping to find it a new owner; also investing in separate platforms for NZClear and Esas
Sama completes payments infrastructure upgrade
Infrastructure overhaul allows faster card payments and higher volumes, supporting the expansion of electronic payments in Saudi Arabia
UK payments regulator notes expansion of indirect access providers
Industry response to financial crime regulation has deterred indirect access providers from catering for smaller payment service providers, report says
UK regulator wants banks to sell their stake in payments infrastructure
PSR says the ownership of infrastructure by a handful of banks damages competition and innovation; unveils a raft of proposals, including forcing banks to sell their interest in VocaLink
Germans have unexplained high cash preference – Bundesbank article
Germans have a much higher tendency to use cash for larger transactions, article in a first edition of a new Bundesbank publication says
CCPs: too interconnected to fail?
The likely responses by national authorities to the possible failure of CCPs in stressed conditions aren't generally assured. But they may be reluctant to allow them to fail, writes Richard Heckinger
Ukrainian central bank calls for parliament to pass consumer protection law
Ukraine’s central bank has called for the country’s parliament to pass two stalled laws aimed at protecting consumers of financial services as concerns grow over provision of foreign aid
EBA raises concerns over Commission’s MREL changes
European Banking Authority challenges European Commission’s proposed changes to MREL criteria; opposes removal of reference to minimum burden-sharing standards
German and French central bank heads back creation of eurozone Treasury
Weidmann and Villeroy de Galhau issue joint call for more integrated eurozone, potentially including joint treasury; alternative would mean different approach to sovereign risk
Italian banking episode shows supervision working well, Nouy says
Handling of problems with Italian banks shows regulators have the right systems in place, Danièle Nouy says; there might be skeletons, but they are ‘not in the cupboard’
Chance to ‘review’ BRRD must be seized, says Visco
Italian governor criticises the application of the Bank Resolution and Recovery Directive (BRRD); the transition was too hasty and reform may be needed, he argues
Bank of England prepares to overhaul ageing RTGS system
Central bank will spend year outlining plans for replacement to high-value payments system, keeping an open mind at present as to what features it should have