Economics
Inflation surprise lifts New Zealand dollar
New Zealand's benchmark interest rate is widely expected to be raised by a quarter of a percentage point to a record level of 8.25% next week, after a report published today revealed that inflation has risen faster than the Reserve Bank anticipated. The…
Sarkozy tones down ECB rhetoric
French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, appears to have relented to pressure from other European leaders over his repeated criticism of the European Central Bank (ECB). The newly-elected leader said on 16 July that he supported the central bank's independence.
Monetary integration in Southern Africa
This IMF working paper finds that the current Common Monetary Area (CMA) agreements between South African, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, although not a full monetary union, have delivered many benefits of a full monetary union.
Zimbabwe to jettison release of inflation data
Recent media reports have highlighted the state of chaos in the management of the Zimbabwean economy, with central bank governor, Gideon Gono, seen as fighting a losing battle again the country's president, Robert Mugabe.
ECB's July Monthly Bulletin
The July edition of the "Monthly Bulletin" of the European Central Bank, realeased on 12 July, contains articles on interpreting monetary developments over the last three years, and the recycling of oil revenues.
Central bank sees "soft landing" for Irish housing
With Ireland's economy set fair, the property market is heading for a soft landing, says John Hurley, the governor of Ireland's central bank.
Expectations not perfectly anchored, says Bernanke
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, says inflation expectations in the United States remain "imperfectly anchored", even if they seem much better anchored now than they were a few decades ago.
Euro appreciation reflects strength, says Stark
Jurgen Stark, an executive board member of the European Central Bank (ECB), says the euro's recent appreciation to a record high against the dollar reflects the strength of the region's economy.
Venezuela launches two-pronged inflation attack
Venezuela's central bank is raising interest rates and reserve requirements for banks in an effort to stem inflation. "These measures seek to provide incentives for national saving and adjust liquidity levels, with the goal of growing in a more stable…
Malaysian ringgit not misaligned: Dr Zeti
The ringitt, Malaysia's national currency, is not misaligned and reflects fundamentals in the economy, said the governor of Malaysia's central bank, Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
"Properly manage" baht says Thai finance minister
Thailand's finance minister directed the central bank to "properly manage" the baht, as the currency hit a ten-year high against the dollar.
BoE's Blanchflower on self-employment
In a speech delivered in Berlin, David Blanchflower said, "in comparison with employees the self-employed are more likely to be male; immigrants; work in construction or financial activities; hold an apprenticeship; work in London; work long hours; have…
Tromp on Caribbean marketplace
In a speech on "the Caribbean marketplace," Dr ED Tromp, president of the Bank of the Netherlands Antilles discussed the need for further Caribbean cooperation and integration and said, "The high vulnerability of our economies... is primarily the result…
OeNB - Annual Report 2006
Operating profit at Austria's central bank for the year was €193m, down on last year's €295m, as the OeNB added nearly €100m to its pension reserve.
ECB on structural reforms
The European Central Bank (ECB) has published, on 6 July, a report on "Structural Reforms in EMU and the Role of Monetary Policy: a Survey of the Literature."
Bank of Thailand intervenes to weaken baht
The Bank of Thailand, the country's central bank, announced on 5 June that it has intervened in the currency market in an attempt to slow down the rise of the baht, the national currency.
Singapore's Tong: Asia's economic prospects
Goh Chok Tong, chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said, "At the political level, Asia is also coalescing. However, political coalescence is progressing more slowly than economic integration," he said in a keynote address on 4 July.
Smaghi: challenges facing EU
"The EU (European Union) will be confronted with three major challenges: rapid technological change, globalisation and an ageing population," Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, member of the executive board, European Central Bank (ECB), said.
RBI's Reddy on India's financial sector
YV Reddy, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, said "The critical task before the public policy, in general, and Reserve Bank of India, in particular, is to strengthen the structural factors in the economy but determinedly moderate the cyclical and…
Deutsche Bundesbank - annual report 2006
Germany's central bank marks its half century by looking back at the performance of the economy in 2006 and notes the new projects, such as T2S, the Bundesbank is working on.
Jelasi: Serbia's "big strides" towards EU
In a speech on 29 June Radovan Jelasi, governor of the National Bank of Serbia, said "Serbia is taking big strides towards the European Union, standard of living is improving and there are ample professional challenges around."
FSA report pans sub-prime lenders
A report issued by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the United Kingdom adopts a highly critical stance with respect to sub-prime mortgage lenders and advisers. The report says that these parties have failed in their responsibilities to…
Russian inflation at 5.7% in first half of year
Sergei Ignatyev, the chairman of the Central Bank of Russia, said on 4 July that inflation in the consumer price index (CPI) amounted to 5.7% in the period January-June this year. Ignatyev's comments came during a testimony before parliament.
Slovakia: 2006 annual report
The National Bank of Slovakia recently published its annual report for 2006.