Financial Stability
Vietnam's Eximbank begins payments scheme
VIETNAM - The joint stock Commercial Bank for Import and Export of Vietnam, Eximbank, held on 11 October the second phase of bidding for the project "Intrabank payment system and Eximbank's applications."
Speech by Patrick Barron of the Atlanta Fed
SPEECH - Remarks by Patrick K. Barron, Retail Payments Product Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, BAI National Electronic Check Collection Conference, Tucson, Arizona, 1 October.
Fed will have single MICR format in 2005
US - The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday 10 October that it will adopt a single standard for magnetic ink character recognition detail on checks by mid-2005.
Shortage of note examiners at Indian central bank
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India employees' union has warned of a shortage of currency note examiners and other experts in the central bank if the management does not reverse its policy of a "virtual" recruitment ban.
€ EURO - Portugal to use big value notes
PORTUGAL - Portugal has changed its mind about not circulating the two highest denomination euro banknotes and now plans to distribute a small number of Euros 500 ( £310) and Euros 200 notes.
Banks fail on internet targets
UK - Banks have failed to meet targets for cost savings from internet banking and almost half believe the business case for setting up web services may not be viable.
Banks need no RBI nod for online debit cards
INDIA - Banks will not be required to seek the approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for introducing online debit cards, where straight-through-processing is done.
Speech by Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa of the ECB
SPEECH - Keynote address of Mr. Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, at the EU Commission conference, Payments in euro in the Internal Market, Brussels, 24 September.
Bank of France printing staff continue strike
FRANCE - Employees belonging to the CGT union at the Bank of France's printing division have extended until today, 3 October, a strike that has been observed since 12 September.
Federal Reserve - Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday launched a new interactive web site developed by the economic educators of the Federal Reserve System. This site offers students, educators and the general public an introduction to the workings of…
India banks non-compliant with RBI for net banking
INDIA - None of the banks in the country which offer internet banking facilities today has an IT security policy as stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
VISA attacks RBA credit card plan
AUSTRALIA - Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) plans to regulate credit card interchange fees have come under attack from Visa International.
Fed extends deadline on payment risks policy
US - The Federal Reserve Board extended until Nov. 16 the deadline for public comment on the potential longer-term direction of its policy on payments system risk.
Terrorist attack - Res Bank of Australia statement
NEWS RELEASE - Statement
Clearing and settlement of securities: in Europe
SPEECH - Speech by Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, at the Symposium of the Deutsche Bundesbank, Payment and Securities Settlement Systems in Germany against the Background of European and International…
E-Signature law may see PSL reap rewards
POLAND - The Sejm has a new hot topic. The Electronic Signature Act was supposed to unleash the market for advanced online services, but may now become the source of large profits for a company said to have ties with the Peasants' Party (PSL).
Roger Ferguson at the Bank of Philadelphia
SPEECH - Remarks by Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Roger Ferguson at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 4 September.
Fed's Ferguson - must monitor changes in payments
US - Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson said on Tuesday 4 Sep the continued changes in the U.S. and world financial systems as well as the payment systems should continue to receive scrutiny from officials even though no problems are evident as…
Visa expects global slowdown to weigh on card use
CHINA - The worldwide growth in sales involving Visa credit cards is expected to slow next year in line with a global economic slowdown, Visa International Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Williamson said 3 September.
Online training to fight money laundering
UK - A new online training programme is being launched to try and prevent money laundering in the UK.
New notes pose problems for cash machines
SPAIN - Spain's Azkoyen, one of the world's leading cigarette and vending machine producers, is already cashing in on next January's launch of euro notes and coins.
Chile banks may soon pay interest on checking acc
CHILE - Banks might soon offer interest-bearing checking accounts to clients in Chile, after Central Bank President Carlos Massad on 28 August publicly invited the country's leading bank trade association to join in studying the matter.
Effective websites: not just a beauty contest
RESEARCH - Today we show two pieces of research on central bank web sites. The first is taken from the journal Central Banking, produced by Central Banking publications, the latest August 2001 edition. The second is an extract from an article published…
Central Bank's on-line banking system threatened
BRAZIL - The Central Bank may have to delay the starting date for its new on-line banking system, called Sistema de Pagamentos Brasileiro (SPB), from November.