News
Bank Indonesia revises up 2001 inflation forecast
INDONESIA - Indonesia's central bank said on 14 May it expected to revise up its 2001 inflation forecast due in part to the weak rupiah, but added the rate should remain below 10 percent.
Fed expected to make another US rate cut
US - The Federal Reserve is expected to make another anti-recession move on 15 May with an interest rate cut - to try to boost the ailing U.S. economy.
IMF will lose a third senior official
WASHINGTON - Jack Boorman is planning to leave the IMF, probably later this year. Fund officials were quick to stress that Mr Boorman had been at the IMF for 25 years and that his leaving was not a shock.
Former Bank of Thailand governors face prosecution
According to Thailand's deputy finance minister, senior former officials from the Bank of Thailand my soon face prosecution for their role in the 1997 currrency crisis.
Rules tightened by Philippine central bank
MANILA - The Philippine central bank said on 11 May that it has expanded the duties and responsibilities of the board of directors of banks to strengthen the banking system.
Yugoslavia re-admitted to World Bank after 8 years
YUGOSLAVIA - Yugoslavia rejoined the World Bank on 8 May, eight years after being expelled for its involvement in Balkan wars, noting that the move paves the way for future loans to help the impoverished country's economic recovery.
Bank of England lowers base rate
UK - The Bank of England announced at 12pm on May 10 that the UK's main interest rate measure, the repo rate, would be reduced by 0.25% to 5.25%.
ECB cuts interest rates by 0.5%
Summary - The European Central Bank (ECB) has made a surprise cut in its key interest rate reducing it by a quarter point to 4.5%.
Inflation still main concern of ECB
GERMANY - European Central Bank council member Vitor Constancio said on 10 May that inflation still remained the bank's main concern.
Banks refusing funds from BOJ
JAPAN - Japanese monetary policy encountered a significant hitch yesterday, 9 May, after it failed to persuade banks to accept any more funds. The money was virtually free as interest rates in Japan are close to zero.
Central banks not to blame for weak gold price
According to a study into the gold derivatives market by Professor Anthony Neuberger of the London Business School, the five-fold increase in gold lending since 1990 cannot account for the slump in the gold price over the period.
Fischer to leave the Fund
Stanley Fischer, the IMF's deputy managing director, announced yesterday that he would leave the fund before the end of the year.
Klein to hold talks with Israel's prime minister
ISRAEL - David Klein, governor of the Central Bank of Israel is to meet with Ariel Sharon, the prime minister of Israel, in the next few days in an attempt to resolve the dispute which led Mr Klein to shelve a cut in interest rates at the end of April.
Chief denies Bank of Japan Governor will resign
JAPAN - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, categorically ruled out the possibility that Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami will resign soon. He was speaking on 9 May.
MAS to welcome more foreign banks
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the new managaing director of Singarpore's monetary authority, has indicated that the authority plans to issue more banking licenses to foreign banks.
Central bank governor says China is stabilising
CHINA - Dai Xianglong, the governor of the central bank of China, said on 9 May that his country had made the world economy more stable.
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.
Central bank denies meeting on ringgit
MALAYSIA - Malaysia's central bank has denied market rumours of any meeting or statement on the ringgit peg.
Chinese CBank announces gold market liberalisation
China's central bank governor, Dai Xianglong, has announced that the central bank is to liberalise the Chinese gold market, establishing a gold swaps market in Shanghai.
Bank must cut rates to avoid slump
UK - Britain faced warnings to cut interest rates to head off the risk of economic slowdown.
Lamfalussy reforms in jeopardy
Proposals designed to speed up European securities market regulation are in trouble after the European Commission rejected a deal proposed by the European Parliament.
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.