Central Banks
Czech National Bank withdraws smallest banknote
Czech National Bank says Kc50 note will be replaced with coin in April; cites cost of replacing notes and change in value
Irish bonds sixth riskiest: report
Credit default swap spreads on Irish bonds spike more than any other in third quarter; Portugal also among ten riskiest sovereign issuers
RBI’s Gokarn identifies emerging inflation risks
Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Subir Gokarn says changing dietary habits are driving up food prices
Bank of Canada: central banks prefer higher haircuts
Bank of Canada study shows haircuts on collateralised assets is greater when central banks cannot lend exclusively to illiquid institutions
RBA’s Ellis warns of complacency over new Basel rules
Reserve Bank of Australia head of financial stability Luci Ellis calls for diligent policing of financial markets; says Basel rules are insufficient protection
UK arrests two in Securency raids
Officials take two men into custody in Securency graft probe as coordinated raids unfold in Australia, Britain and Spain
Ireland’s Elderfield rules out senior debt haircuts
Holders of senior debt must not be forced to shoulder losses, but issuing banks could negotiate with them, says Central Bank of Ireland’s Matthew Elderfield
Angola appoints new governor
Commercial bank head José de Lima Massano joins National Bank of Angola following government reshuffle
Recovery has lost steam and risks remain high, IMF warns
IMF's latest financial stability report strikes a cautionary note about the stalled economic recovery
St Louis Fed: forward rates provide investors little advantage
St Louis Federal Reserve study says informational value of longer term forward rates provides no additional economic benefits
BoJ: low interest rates boost bank lending
Bank of Japan Economic and Financial Developments report says bank lending showing signs of improvement
RBA develops more robust monetary policy model
Reserve Bank of Australia study uses sign restriction VAR models to explain exchange rate puzzle in measuring monetary policy
Pay attention to monetary aggregates: Canada’s Macklem
Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Tiff Macklem says interest rate transmission blockages make money, credit data key in crisis; adds voice to growing chorus of central bankers
US Treasury slashes forecast for cost of Tarp
US Treasury estimates cost of government bailout at $30 billion, less than a tenth of original forecast
Brussels crafts principles for bank account access
European Commission consults on principles to ground law granting universal access to basic bank accounts; 6% of adults do not have a bank account
Anglo bailout prompts Ireland downgrade
Fitch knocks Irish debt one notch; says higher bailout cost will impair fiscal consolidation plans
Japan edges towards zero bound
Bank of Japan cuts benchmark rate to 0% to 0.1% range, announces further stimulus
RBI names working group to review key open market operations
Reserve Bank of India names working group members assessing liquidity adjustment facility; six out of ten from central bank
NY Fed’s Sack on FOMC’s policy shift
New York Federal Reserve executive vice president Brian Sack said further measures represent meaningful shift in balance sheet path
IMF: Gulf bank balance sheets severely impaired by economic downturn
Fund study finds link between economic conditions in Gulf states and banks’ nonperforming loans in region
Basel Committee demands more rigorous governance standards
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issues new corporate governance principles for banks; calls for independent chief risk officer
Paper problems delay release of new $100 note
Federal Reserve says sporadic creasing of paper on new banknote will setback release of new $100 bill
Swiss to make UBS and Credit Suisse pay for systemic status
Swiss commission proposal beefs up Basel III for Credit Suisse and UBS with 19% capital requirement and other measures to tackle 'too big to fail' problem
Bank of Spain's Roldán highlights Basel III flaws
Basel III’s architecture, hybrid capital and liquidity buffers among potential pitfalls; views shared by BaFin's Sanio