FMI
RBA payments head hails ‘hub-based’ retail payments platform
Reserve Bank of Australia’s Tony Richards delivers update on country’s new payments platform and the central bank’s work towards a faster settlement system
Adherence to Islamic financing principles could benefit credit unions
Islamic savings products would make institutions more resilient, and possibly strengthen incentives for good governance, IMF working paper argues
Mauritius introduces polymer banknotes
The Bank of Mauritius joins an exclusive but growing group of central banks that is looking to plastic money to curtail counterfeiting
People: StanChart's new global RMB team; RBC hires Asian equities head from JPM
Carmen Ling quits Citi to head Standard Chartered's new global renminbi-focused team; RBC hires new head of Asian equities from JP Morgan in Hong Kong; and more
Meeting Basel III requirements ‘the critical question' for India's public banks
'Fiscally squeezed' Indian government may struggle to meet the enhanced capital needs of public sector banks under Basel III, warns Duvvuri Subbarao
CPSS, Iosco and FSB publish reports on FMIs
CPSS and Iosco says member states are making ‘substantial progress’ towards establishing their principles for financial market infrastructures; FSB offers new guidance for resolution
A status report on Dodd-Frank and the Volcker rule
As the US and Europe move closer to co-operating on derivatives legislation, Vembar Ranganathan looks at the status of Dodd-Frank implementation aimed at curbing excesses in the derivatives market
HKMA primed for mobile payments surge
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is enhancing the legal and supervisory framework needed for the safe development of retail payments for its echnology-savvy population
‘Striking similarities' between eurozone and the pre-1914 gold standard
Both monetary arrangements provide underdeveloped peripheral countries with easy access to capital from the core countries, triggering asset price booms via the banking system in peripheral countries
Zimbabwe governor says return of local currency is not on the cards
Gideon Gono issues post-election statement on country's multi-currency regime; tells banks and investors to stop panicking and get on with their boardroom strategies
Adopting electronic retail payments boosts real economy, says ECB paper
Working paper says efficient electronic retail payment infrastructure boosts GDP, trade and consumption; integrating and harmonising different markets amplifies these effects
RBI governor champions ‘logically robust' financial regulation
Duvvuri Subbarao says financial markets stand out because they are not self-correcting, and because financial firms are highly leveraged and uniquely interconnected
Court decision overturns Fed cap on credit card fees
Ruling slams Fed's $0.21 cap on banks' interchange fees as too high and for running ‘completely afoul of the text, design and purpose' of legislators' intent; bank body calls on Fed to appeal
Palestinian annual report highlights infrastructure progress
Palestine Monetary Authority details successful projects completed in 2012, including the introduction of the region's ‘most efficient’ RTGS system
Yen volatility drives record turnover, central bank surveys reveal
Volume was up across foreign exchange products in the UK and US in April 2013, with nearly $1 trillion traded daily in the US and more than $2.5 trillion in the UK
RBI deputy says improved governance standards ‘holy grail' in fight against fraud
While the number of reported frauds in India is coming down, the amount is growing as large-value, advance-related frauds are becoming increasingly common, notes Kamalesh Chandra Chakrabarty
Consumers' inferior bargain position ‘largest issue to be tackled'
RBI's Deepali Pant Joshi says financial crisis had ‘highlighted the importance of financial consumer protection for the long-term stability of the global financial system'
European Commission floats proposal to cap fees on credit card transactions
EC says retailers will make big savings by paying lower fees to their banks, and consumers will benefit through lower retail prices as a result of new regulation
UAE to mint more small coins - while Ireland starts phasing them out
The introduction of paid parking in shopping centres prompts coin shortage in the UAE; Ireland launches local pilot programme to round bills to the nearest five cents
Reserve Bank of India currency measures may have limited impact on rupee
Moves to halt falling rupee may have unintended consequences, according to rating agencies; volatility is expected to continue
Central Bank of Sri Lanka launches national electronic payments system
The scheme, which will allow customers to withdraw cash from any ATMs of participating banks, is similar to one announced by the Palestinian Monetary Authority earlier this month
BIS international banking stats show advanced and emerging market divergence
Claims on banks in advanced economies continued to fall in the first quarter of 2013, while in emerging markets they bounced back
IMF user guide takes stock of current toolkit for systemic risk monitoring
Paper provides guidance on selecting and interpreting monitoring tools; a continuously updated inventory of key categories of tools; and suggestions on how to carry out systemic risk monitoring
Card fraudsters abandoning ‘safer' Europe for more vulnerable markets, says ECB
Payment fraud is declining steadily in Europe thanks to technology advances; numbers are 'small compared to other kinds of fraudulent activities', expert says