Economics
Trichet says ECB ready to raise rates when needed
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday 3 November that the ECB stands ready to raise interest rates whenever this becomes necessary.
PBOC adviser calls for more yuan flexibility
China should allow greater flexibility in the yuan's exchange rate, an influential economist and adviser to China's central bank said in comments published on Wednesday 2 November.
China's current growth rate 'reasonable'
China's economy has already achieved its long-awaited landing and current growth rates around 9 percent are reasonable, the central bank's chief economist said on Wednesday 2 November.
RBNZ chief may raise rates until it 'hurts'
Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Alan Bollard said in a radio interview he is willing to raise interest rates ``in a way that really hurts,'' to stop people thinking they can keep borrowing money to spend.
Comment: Greenspan's parting shot
Alan Greenspan yesterday delivered his final Congressional testimony. Apart from an unsurprising, cautiously optimistic message on the short-run prospects for the U.S. economy, his parting shot came in the form of a stern warning to Congress that it…
Wellink on China's rise, impact on Western economy
In the speech 'China's rise and its impact on Western economies' given on 3 October Nout Wellink of the Netherlands Bank said the world economy is increasingly integrated. Therefore, China's rise transmits shock waves to Western economies as that country…
RBNZ's Bollard on inflation and the exchange rate
In the speech 'Housing debt, inflation and the exchange rate' given on 2 November Alan Bollard of the RBNZ said higher interest rates needed to dampen demand and inflation had had the side-effect of bolstering the currency.
The myth of the all-powerful Fed
Despite the outsized attention that any utterance from the Fed chair typically gets, the economic world isn't controlled by one person, or even one institution, this article published on Tuesday 1 November notes.
BCCI liquidators drop 'hopeless' court case
The case brought by the liquidators of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International against the Bank of England and 22 of its present and former staff collapsed on Wednesday 2 November when all the allegations were unconditionally withdrawn at the High…
IMF wants more accountable Bank of Italy
The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday 2 November that the Italian government should toughen up a draft reform of the Bank of Italy to make the central bank more transparent and accountable.
SNB maintains policy of 'correcting' rates
Switzerland's central bank will stick to its goal of "correcting" the country's main interest rate to keep inflation from accelerating, Swiss National Bank President Jean-Pierre Roth said Wednesday 2 November.
Comment: The Old Lady prevails
Deloitte, the liquidators of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), yesterday unconditionally withdrew all allegations of malfeasance on the part of the Bank of England and 22 of its present and former staff members related to the BCCI's…
BOJ Outlook for economic activity & prices, Oct 05
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its October 2005 Outlook for economic activity and prices report on 1 November. In the report the BOJ forecast consumer prices would rise this fiscal year and next, and it said chances of a policy shift…
ECB's Trichet on European financial markets
In the speech 'The Eurosystem and the integration of European financial markets' given on 28 October, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB stressed that progress in European financial integration requires an effective interplay between market forces and action…
SARB's Mboweni on the South African economy
In a speech given on 25 October, Tito Mboweni of the South African Reserve Bank said the markets have been through some testing times, but we certainly have a come long way from the days of double digit inflation, and the rand being a one-way bet.
Chairman nominee may bring new openness to the Fed
If Ben Bernanke has his way, the Federal Reserve is likely to become more open, according to this article published on Tuesday 1 November. His approach could lead to big changes in how the Fed communicates, it says.
Japan's Yosano says stable long-term rate critical
Kaoru Yosano, Japan's newly appointed state minister for economic and fiscal policy, said that keeping long-term interest rates stable at low levels is vital to the success of fiscal and budget reforms.
'We will act' on inflation if needed says Trichet
The European Central Bank sees clear signs that inflation will rise in Europe, president Jean-Claude Trichet told Euro am Sonntag.
SADC economic integration timetable questioned
Southern Africa will be unable to realize its economic integration plans by 2012 if the current pace of implementation is not increased, a senior South African official warned on Monday 31 October.
Fed expected to raise rates again
The Federal Reserve was widely expected to raise US interest rates on Tuesday 1 November, as the American economy continues strong growth.
Comment: Inflation jitters discounted
Bond yields have been rising rapidly as a result of jitters that rising oil prices will lead to higher inflation than previously expected. Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley, argues that the bond market has got it wrong - the global economy…
Buba's Remsperger on money in an uncertain world
In the speech 'Money in an uncertain world' given on 27 October Hermann Remsperger of the Deutsche Bundesbank said it is a fact that uncertainty will remain a key characteristic of monetary policy making.
Alan Greenspan gives Ben Bernanke some pointers
This article published on Monday 31 October carries a supposed conversation between Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke. It says that, according to press reports, Greenspan wanted Donald Kohn to head the Federal Reserve instead of Bernanke.
Bernanke's models, and their limits
This article published on Sunday 30 October asks what Ben Bernanke's academic work can tell us about the sort of Fed chairman he will make. He has written repeatedly about ways of using dauntingly complex mathematical models of the economy to set…