Central Banks
Progress on policy offset by shocks from bad weather – CBSL governor
Sri Lanka suffered from both droughts and floods in 2017 but new policy measures are helping stabilise the economy, says Indrajit Coomaraswamy
Eurozone countries’ manufacturing sectors are diverging, Italian paper finds
Manufacturing profits rise relative to non-tradables in Germany and Spain, but fall in France and Italy
Bank Negara buys land to create ‘financial education hub’
The land is intended for institutions promoting research into Islamic finance
People: Bank of England official to become FCA chair
Charles Randell to take over as FCA chair in April; BoE appoints its first job sharers at executive director level; Vietnam names deputy governor; Mark Mullinix to leave Fed; and more
New US tax plan promising for growth – Fed minutes
FOMC members revise the growth outlook upwards for next 12 months, as tax cuts promise to provide “some boost” to consumer spending
ECB corporate bond purchases fall to lowest level in December
CSPP is expected to rebound in January, while the ECB reduces QE to €30 billion a month
NBKR’s Abdygulov returns to top job after stint in government
Tolkunbek Abdygulov spent a brief period as deputy prime minister before resuming the central bank’s chairmanship
BCEAO denounces ‘fraudulent’ messages on social media
The Central Bank of West African States denies the existence of false serial numbers on banknotes
Macao turns to facial recognition to fight money laundering
Chinese tourists now have to verify their identities in order to withdraw cash at most ATMs in the casino hub
Angola looks to abandon currency peg
Crippled by low commodity prices, Angola’s kwanza will be allowed to float within a range, governor says
Platforms win small on Mifid day one
Some dealers stopped quoting bilaterally on smaller bond trades
Public debt in EU countries harms growth, ECB paper argues
Researchers find public debt crowds out investment but private debt is used efficiently
Fed paper studies inequality in three dimensions
Authors find examining three dimensions simultaneously gives new insights
Irish central bank gets major budget increase
Commission members criticise bank’s handling of tracker mortgages
Philippines admits to circulating ‘faceless’ banknotes
Printing error results in missing portraits on several banknotes; the central bank urges the public not to circulate the images on social media
Botswana chooses polymer for latest banknote launch
African nation partners with UK printer De La Rue for new banknote launch, opting for polymer to prolong life
Colombian paper says resolution co-operation is needed in the region
Authors examine how resolution plans have evolved and conclude more work can be done with regard to local systemically important financial institutions and cross-border activities