Monetary Policy
BOJ voted 8-1 to maintain policy on Oct 13-minutes
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) Policy Board voted 8-1 to maintain its policy of targeting the unsecured overnight call rate at 0.25 percent at a meeting on October 13, minutes from the meeting showed on Wednesday.
Fiji 2001 budget forecasts slow economic recovery
Fiji's post-coup government on Wednesday delivered its calendar 2001 budget, predicting a slow recovery in the South Pacific nation's economy which has been battered by a nationalist coup and failed military mutiny. The central bank has predicted that…
Mboweni says rand's fall due to external factors
The South African rand was pummelled Tuesday by external factors such as escalating tensions in the Middle East, dollar strength, the anticipated outcome of the US elections and a failure by the European Central Bank to intervene on behalf of the…
Brussels raises Eurozone inflation forecast
The European Commission revised upwards its inflation forecasts for the euro-zone and said European economic growth, though relatively strong, was unlikely to equal US growth until 2002.
Economists hit Malaysia's dollar peg
Malaysia should get rid of its currency peg to the dollar and fix the exchange rate to a trade-weighted basket of currencies instead, said several economists speaking at a conference in Kuala Lumpur.
US and euro interest rates to rise, says OECD
Interest rates in the world's leading economies look set to rise, the OECD warned in its bi-annual World Economic Outlook and predicted global growth of 4.75% this year.
Taiwan BoP suffers from capital flight
After eight quarters in surplus, Taiwan's balance of international payments fell into deficit territory in the third quarter of this year as the result of a sharp fall in the capital account, the Central Bank of China revealed yesterday.
Venezuela preparing interest rate measures
Venezuela's central bank is considering measures to limit the spread between commercial banks' lending and deposit interest rates, as part of a new banking law being drafted for decree by President Hugo Chavez.
Australian dollar falls to 17 year low
The tide of global foreign exchange markets has turned against the Australian dollar again with the local currency falling to a record 17 year low.
Ghana to be HQ of West African Monetary Institute
Ghana has been selected as the location for the headquarters of the West African Monetary Institute that is to work towards the establishment of a West African Central Bank.
BoE issues inflation warning on wages
The Bank of England has released a report, co-written by chief economist Charlie Bean and other bank staff, warning that an increase in the share of national income being taken by wages may lead to a rise in inflation.
Sarkinas: no policy change until after mid-2001
Reinoldijus Sarkinas, governor of the Bank of Lithuania, met with the IMF mission headed by Patricia Alonso-Gamo. He reiterated that decisions about the planned repegging of the national currency, the litas, from the US dollar to the euro would not be…
Calls for fundamental reform of the ECB
The UK government's favourite foreign policy think-tank has published a paper calling for fundamental reform of the European Central Bank and European economic policy-making to restore confidence in the euro.
Bank of Japan - Annual Report 2000
ANNUAL REPORT - The Bank of Japan has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2000.
Speech by Antonio Fazio, Governor, Bank of Italy
SPEECH - Speech by Antonio Fazio, Governor of the Bank of Italy at the World Gold Council International Conference "The Euro, the Dollar and Gold" held in Rome on 17 November 2000. The relationship between currencies and gold.
Kenya cenbank says economic growth has slowed
Kenya's economic growth is estimated to have declined to 0.4% in the 12 months to August, from 1.4% in the previous year, the Central Bank of Kenya said.
Mersch-M3 scrutiny still key in ECB rate decisions
Luxembourg central bank chief Yves Mersch, a member of the European Central Bank council, on Friday said that scrutiny of money supply retained a key role in the setting of monetary policy.
Japan needs easy monetary stance, says IMF
Japan's economy still has a problem with deflation, and the central bank should keep its easy monetary policy for a while longer, a senior official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday.
Riksbank's Heikensten sees inflation pressure
Swedish central bank first deputy governor Lars Heikensten said inflationary pressure in the country is growing and the central bank may have to raise interest rates as a result.
Svein Gjedrem: Norwegian monetary policy
At a conference held in Copenhagen on 17 November 2000, Mr Svein Gjedrem, governor of the Norges Bank, gives a speech on Norwegian monetary policy. Mr Svein Gjedrem discusses the relationship between the special structure of the Norwegian economy and…
SARB maintains monetary stance
South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni Thursday said the central bank's current monetary policy stance would be maintained. This in line with most economists' expectations that interest rates would remain unchanged at the bank's six-weekly…
Philippine interest rates to fall by year end
Philippine central bank governor Rafael Buenaventura said on Thursday the bank planned to lower its key overnight rates before the end of 2000 given signs that inflation and the peso had begun to stabilise.
Brazil's Fraga confident in Argentina's recovery
Brazil's central bank chief Arminio Fraga said Thursday he is confident that neighboring Argentina will leave its economic woes behind although there will be no "instant miracle."
ECB to publish its economic forecasts
The European Central Bank has decided to publish its internal economic forecasts for the euro-zone to improve the markets's understanding of its monetary policy and dispel criticism of excessive secrecy.