Central Banks
OECD Economic Outlook
RESEARCH - The OECD's Chief Economist, Ignazio Visco, presented the analysis and projections contained in the Economic Outlook No. 69 at a news conference at OECD headquarters in Paris on 3 May. The publication is available in English, French and German…
Bank Indonesia - Annual Report 2000
REPORT - Bank Indonesia reports that economic recovery has improved and that economic growth in the year exceeded expectation.
UK poised for rate reduction
UK - The Bank of England faces pressure to cut interest rates tomorrow, May 9, as it begins its monthly two day meeting.
US households more buoyant than generally believed
ARTICLE - The financial position of US households ranks high on the list of concerns about the economic and financial outlook. The fear is that a negative personal saving rate and record debt-to-income levels point to a potential sharp retrenchment in…
Good news reported by latest Fed Beige Book
RESEARCH - More evidence that the US economy has turned a corner after a steep six-month slide is reported in the latest Beige Book summary of regional economic conditions.
A Simple Model for Inflation in Brazil
RESEARCH - Working Paper No. 18 from the Bank of Brazil develops a model to investigate the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. The paper also describes the results of stochastic simulations designed to investigate the behaviour of various optimal…
Price level convergence and inflation in Europe
A paper by John H. Rogers at the Federal Reserve "Price level convergence, relative prices, and inflation in Europe" finds evidence to support the concept of price level convergence and investigates the extent to which divergence of national inflation…
Interview with Governor of Malaysian CB
SPEECH - The Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia gave an Interview for the Banking Supplement 2001 of The Star newspaper on 30 April 2001. The Governor gave his views on the developments, challenges and opportunities facing the Malaysian banking…
Bank of Canada report
REPORT - The Bank of Canada released its semi-annual Monetary Policy Report on May 1.
Central bank denies meeting on ringgit
MALAYSIA - Malaysia's central bank has denied market rumours of any meeting or statement on the ringgit peg.
Bank must cut rates to avoid slump
UK - Britain faced warnings to cut interest rates to head off the risk of economic slowdown.
Currency crisis could oust Wahid
INDONESIA - The Indonesian rupiah has plummeted to new lows. In April 2001, Indonesia was rocked by more political instability as Indonesian President, Abdurrahman Wahid, was threatened with impeachment.
Sri Lanka halts slide as central bank steps in
SRI LANKA - Sri Lanka's rupee ended a two-day plunge of more than three percent on May 3, firming at the close after the central bank sold dollars in the market for the second successive day.
Supereconomies face clashes
EUROPE - Central bank politics is assuming an intriguing role in attempted reversal of the slowdown of the US economy and spreading effects on other parts of the world.
Main comments from ECB's Issing speech
SPEECH - Edited highlights of a speech by Otmar Issing, chief economist of the European Central Bank, at a business seminar in London on May 3.
Rate to be cut before inflation hits target
REPORT - A poll showed that the biggest group of economists still believes the ECB will cut its benchmark rate from 4.75 percent next month even though inflation is heading up, not down.
Ex-BOJ Fukui warns policy shift has dangers
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan's (BOJ) recent adoption of a radically different easy money policy risks driving the yen to excessively low levels and, worse, could set a profligate government on the path to fiscal bankruptcy, a former deputy governor of the…
G7 accept Japanese financial reform will happen
JAPAN - The chief of Japan's financial watchdog said on May 1 members of the Group of Seven (G7) nations at a weekend meeting in Washington had expressed understanding of the government's efforts to undertake structural reform.
Rate cut doubt after new data published
UK - Buoyant UK consumer data released on May 2 has added to the interest rate dilemma faced by the Bank of England.
Making EMU Work: Some Lessons from the 1990s
ARTICLE - Jorg Bibow lectures at the University of Hamburg on central banking and European integration. This working paper investigates the lessons learned from Europe's convergence process of the 1990s.
London set for May-day monopoly mayhem
LONDON - Anti-capitalist demonstrators are preparing to target offices of the IMF and World Bank in London in riots planned for Tuesday, May 1.
Parliament committee grills new policy adviser
LONDON - Kate Barker, due to join the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in June, testified before parliament's Treasury Select Committee on May 1.
BoE's George 'Surprised' By Weak 1Q GDP Data
UK - Bank of England Governor Eddie George said Tuesday that he was caught off guard by the weakness of U.K. output during the first quarter of this year.
Bank of Japan Mar 19 meeting minutes
TOKYO - Key points from minutes issued by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) on May 1 from the meeting of its Policy Board on Mar 19.