Central Banks
EU freezes assets of Iranian central bank
EU follows US lead by announcing strict new sanctions on Iranian central bank; heart of action is to limit the country’s nuclear programme
Fed reveals design of new interest rate projections
Federal Reserve releases templates to be used in next Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) to project participants' views of the appropriate path for monetary policy
Bangladesh makes ‘historic’ female deputy governor selection
First female deputy governor appointed at Bangladesh Bank; Nazneen Sultana becomes one of three new deputy governors at the central bank
Lagarde calls for larger firewall to ease funding costs
Fund managing director Christine Lagarde says $500 billion boost in lending capacity will improve growth and allow for deeper integration in Europe; says larger firewall is also needed
Credit rating agencies pose stability risks, says IMF paper
Fund study shows opinions of rating agencies can influence financial stability through impact on sovereign funding costs
Governments can safeguard economy against supply shocks, says National Bank of Denmark paper
National Bank of Denmark study says financial system structures and government support are important factors in shielding the economy from supply shocks
RBI’s Mahapatra seeks greater surveillance of corporate governance
Reserve Bank of India executive director Shri Mahapatra calls for greater vigilance in corporate governance at financial institutions to avoid further crises
Interview: Gerard Hartsink
European Payments Council chairman Gerard Hartsink tells Yusuf Yassin he welcomes the decision to set end-dates for Sepa migration, but says concerns about the regulation, raised in October, remain
Hungary drops plan to merge central bank with regulator
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán says planned merger between National Bank of Hungary and Hungarian Financial Supervisory Authority has been abandoned
Chilean president nominates economist to central bank board
Joaquin Vial Ruiz-Tagle put forward for seat on Central Bank of Chile board; government has final say
Swedish authorities improve macroprudential policy co-operation
The Riksbank and Finansinspektionen form a new council for co-operation on macroprudential policy; group will not infringe on two authorities' independence in decision-making
FSB Regional Consultative Group meetings continue
Middle East and North Africa consultative group is latest regional FSB body to meet; discussed financial vulnerabilities of the region
BoE reports challenging wholesale market conditions
Bank of England January Trends in Lending report shows longer-term wholesale funding markets in the UK are freezing up
IMF paper on optimal monetary policy frameworks under price distortions
Fund study shows sectoral inflation targeting and output gap stabilisation outperform strict headline inflation targeting in the presence of subsidised prices for goods
Bank of Canada report forecasts modest rebound in 2012
Bank of Canada Monetary Policy Report projects economy will grow moderately in 2012 and pick up further in 2013
ECB report urges progress on Sepa card payments migration
European Central Bank study says considerable effort is still needed to achieve an integrated European market for card payments
Macro-stress tests not suitable as early warning systems, says BIS paper
Bank for International Settlements study says macro-stress tests are ineffective tools for identifying vulnerabilities in the financial sector during tranquil times, and could even mislead supervisors
Central banks' financing of governments warranted in some cases, says IMF paper
Fund study outlines appropriate framework to enable central banks in developing countries to lend to governments in the short-term
Robert Pringle's Viewpoint: Policy-makers in thrall to group thinking
Philipp Hildebrand’s resignation has renewed fears about market practitioners working in central banks. But FOMC minutes from 2006 reveal a deeper problem – placing too much reliance on economists
Former contractor charged for hacking New York Fed files
Computer programmer at Federal Reserve Bank of New York arrested for stealing proprietary source code used to track the US government’s finances; code is estimated to be worth $9.5 million
Haldane calls for radical rethink of accounting rules
Bank of England financial stability executive director Andrew Haldane says departure form fair-value accounting principles necessary to prevent pro-cyclical behaviour of asset prices
Global economic growth fears prompt emerging markets to ease rates
Central Bank of Brazil, Central Bank of the Philippines and National Bank of Serbia cut interest rates on weaker global outlook; elevated inflation forces South African Reserve Bank to hold rates
Risk managers complain about Fed stress test workload
Twelve new banks are included in this year's US stress test, and some institutions are unhappy about the extra work