Reserves
Swiss upper house rejects initiative that would force SNB to double gold holdings
Proposal that would require central bank to hold at least 20% of total assets in gold is slated for referendum but political establishment is strongly opposed
Omani central bank chief still committed to dollar peg
Central Bank of Oman's Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali tells Central Banking journal the peg still offers 'substantial benefits' given Oman's economic structure
Central banks cut gold purchases by a third, as consumers pick up slack
Global demand for gold fell 15% in 2013 compared with 2012, as central banks slowed their purchases and ETFs made hefty divestments
Reassessing the sovereign investor nexus
As sovereign assets continue to grow, managers look set to adopt multi-asset investment approaches that are more closely associated with defined-contribution pension plans
Argentina lifts capital controls as peso's slide continues
Argentina lifts capital controls a day after central bank quits trying to prop up the currency
Central Bank of Turkey sells $2.5bn in attempt to halt lira freefall
Central bank buys local currency for an estimated $2.5 billion in one day, upping stakes on strategy that has seen it spend one-third of net reserves since June
Reserve manager of the year: Central Bank of Colombia
The Central Bank of Colombia’s dynamic reserves management strategy and impressive performance amidst turmoil in the US dollar and emerging market currencies made it stand out from the crowd
Asset manager of the year: BlackRock
Improved customer service and impressive investment capabilities in all types of strategies across a wide range of asset classes around the world made BlackRock the stand-out asset manager in 2013
IMF urges full recapitalisation of Ugandan central bank
The Bank of Uganda was recapitalised by the government in June 2013, but further capital injections will depend on the central bank's ability to ‘streamline’ operational costs
Reserve managers continue push into diverse currencies
Latest data from the IMF shows non-traditional reserve currencies continue to see their share of global reserve holdings grow; sterling, yen and the Swiss franc fall in favour
Central Bank of Venezuela to buy country's entire gold production
Central bank in joint bid with state oil company to ‘regularise' production, sales and purchases of the precious metal, which last year accounted for 70% of the bank's international reserves
Bolivian central bank under fire for lending to public enterprises
IMF tells CentralBanking.com the unorthodox practice is ‘counterproductive' and out of step with international norms; bank's constitutional mandate and lending arrangement makes loans legal
African central banks need to brace for Fed tapering, says Ghana's Opata
African central banks should consider raising FX reserves to cover potential reserves losses and stress in domestic fixed income markets from Fed tapering, says Bank of Ghana official
Gono steps down as Zimbabwe government takes on Reserve Bank debts
Reserve Bank governor survived political upheaval to fulfil two five-year terms at the head of the central bank; final act was to see the bank relieved of its crippling debts by the government
Sarb official warns about use of Aussie investments as a proxy for China
Australian and Chinese markets are 'vastly different', so investing in Australia as a proxy for China could be risky, South African Reserve Bank risk manager warns delegates at Nalm Africa 2013
Kazakhstan’s integration of alternative assets into its reserves management
Resource-rich Kazakhstan has embraced alternatives through the creation of a new fund to drive returns and improve diversification of its foreign reserves. Yeszhan Birtanov reports
Reserve managers diversifying due to rise in risk, not a search for return, say CBP panellists
Central bank reserve managers are moving into new assets due to concerns about rising risks in traditional currencies, rather than in a search for yield, say Central Banking On Air panellists
Finland joins Riksbank in greater gold transparency
Bank of Finland joins Riksbank in revealing where it stores its gold; both banks cite geographical diversification as a motivation, but say it still makes sense to keep most in London
Riksbank reveals location of gold holdings
Three-quarters of the Swedish central bank's gold reserves are held in the UK and Canada; disclosure follows discussions with other central banks on confidentiality
RBA and government set out rules of engagement
Update to ‘statement on the conduct of monetary policy' says Australian government recognises the Reserve Bank's need for a strong balance sheet; RBA will pay no dividend to the government this year
Australian government pours $8.5bn into RBA's reserves
New Australian government blames dwindling reserves on predecessor's demand for ‘extraordinary' dividends; records show losses were incurred due to currency movements in 2010–11
Bank of Lithuania prepares for move into equities
Central bank announces plan to invest in riskier assets after returns on its foreign reserves drop close to zero; follows gradually increasing trend among central banks
Progress of RMB internationalisation ‘spectacular’, says SFC official
Speaking at the FX Week Asia conference, deputy chief executive of Hong Kong regulator highlights the importance of continuing to internationalise China's currency