Economics
Peru's strong 2004
December 2004 saw Peru celebrate its 42nd consecutive month of economic growth with a "significant improvement in the principal macroeconomic indicators," according to the central bank in its report for the year.
Taiwan's 2004 in review
A combination of economic expansion, rising prices and negative real rates led Taiwan's central bank to shift its monetary policy stance and raise rates in 2004, writes the governor, Fai-nan Perng, in the annual report.
SARB annual report
In remarking upon "another successful year for the South African Reserve Bank", Tito Mboweni, the governor, painted a rosy picture of the current state of the country's economy in delivering the SARB's 2005 annual report.
Mboweni downplays loan-to-Zimbabwe stories
Tito Mboweni, governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), yesterday told journalists that the size of the loan to the Zimbabwean government that South Africa was considering was "nowhere near" the US$1 billion mark previously reported in the press.
Iraq's first Article IV for 25 years
The IMF has issued its first Article IV report on Iraq in 25 years. It reports that economic activity in Iraq has grown significantly in 2004, but that inflation has also been higher than expected at 37% for the year to June, compared with estimates of…
Fukui positive on economy, inflation
In a statement before a parliamentary committee on August 2, the governor of the Bank of Japan, Toshihiko Fukui, spoke of the country's improving economic situation and how the central bank's policies were adapting.
Comment: A controversial Central Banking feature
About two weeks after its publication, the current issue of Central Banking has suddenly been receiving wall-to-wall coverage in some sections of the UK media. But what was intended as a sober, objective and balanced appraisal of some of the problems of…
Zimbabwe teeters on the edge of Fund exit
Zimbabwe's deteriorating economy means it faces the risk of expulsion from the IMF, as a team from the Fund arrived on August 22 ahead of the September meeting at which a decision will be made.
Privatisation plans fall short - Serb central bank
The National Bank of Serbia warned the government against reneging on its IMF commitments, in a press release issued on August 19 which criticised the government's progress in privatising the oil industry.
What's behind real exchange rate moves?
A new working paper from the Bank of England's economic research engine room looks into the reasons for past movements in exchange rates. In contrast to the "benchmark model" in this field, the paper finds an important role for nominal shocks in…
Bank of Canada Review, Summer 2005
The Bank of Canada published its Review for Summer 2005 on 18 August. The Review contains three articles including "Estimating the impact of monetary policy surprises on fixed-income markets" and "Recent trends in Canadian defined-benefit pension sector…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Aug 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, August 2005, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continued to expand in August, at a somewhat faster pace than in July.
Reddy on micro-finance: RBI's approach
In the speech 'Micro-Finance: Reserve Bank's approach' given on 6 August YV Reddy of the RBI said that we, in India, have to focus on extending financial services in both rural and urban areas for ensuring financial inclusion of all segments of the…
Greenspan's marriage proposal - 'so oblique'
A recent interview with Fed chairman Alan Greenspan's wife revealed a few details on the maestro.
Italy's Fazio to quit, but may take a while
An article published this week says Bank of Italy Governor Antonio Fazio will eventually yield to the relentless pressure on him to resign, but it may not happen for some time. One reform that seems almost sure to emerge from the affair is the…
China's 'visionary' Zhou leads yuan float push
An article published on Wednesday 17 August looks at People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan in depth. He was a visionary on yuan reform long before it became a global issue, it says, and moved steadily up the banking and finance hierarchy through…
Argentina's central bank deputy dismissed
Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has removed central bank vice-president Ricardo Branda from office. Branda is under formal investigation for alleged corruption.
Modest pay, one term 'best' for central bankers
A new study says that Europe's central bank chiefs should receive only modest pay and serve just a single term in office to avoid self interest creeping into interest rate decisions. It also found that limited terms and confidential interest rate…
Robbery! Brazil's central bank loses $68m
How do you lose $68m? The central bank of Brazil is asking itself the same question after thieves tunnelled in to bank and made this massive withdrawal.
China appoints new central bank vice governor
Hu Xiaolian has been appointed vice governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) by China's State Council, the cabinet, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Bank of Canada's speech for 25 August cancelled
A speech that Bank of Canada deputy governor Sheryl Kennedy was due to give in New Brunswick on 25 August has been cancelled, the central bank said on Thursday 19 August.
Govt won't seek Fazio resignation - minister
The Italian government will not seek the resignation of central bank governor, Antonio Fazio, despite pressures for his removal because of his opposition to the takeover of two Italian banks by foreign companies, a minister was reported as saying by a…
Academics discuss East Asian Monetary Union
Academics meeting on Friday 19 August called for Asian nations to set up a regional cooperative body similar to the EU and adopt a common East Asian currency.
Budget misquoted says BoT governor
Bank of Thailand governor Pridiyathorn Devakula confirmed Thursday 18 August that the investment budget of the government's infrastructure development projects remains unchanged at 1.7 trillion baht and admitted that he had seen the wrong investment…