News
Greenspan-quicker Fed transcripts undesirable
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Jan. 25 the U.S. central bank should not be forced to more quickly release full transcripts of its monetary policy deliberations. The Fed currently releases the transcripts of Federal Open Market Committee…
Low inflation, US rates led to Brazil rate cut
Falling U.S. rates and confidence that inflation will fall to established targets this year prompted Brazil's central bank to cut interest rates for the second month running on Jan. 17, according to the minutes of the bank's policy meeting released Jan…
Yugoslavia to issue few licences to foreign banks
Yugoslavia's central bank saidon Jan. 25 it would issue only a few licenses to foreign bankswhile others would have to buy into existing ones, as part ofefforts to turn around the massively indebted sector."The National Bank of Yugoslavia will issue a…
M&A Bank attracts attention of Austrian regulator
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Austrian finance supervisory authority has decided to bring forward a routine inspection of M&A Bank, a Vienna-based institution specialising in managing the assets of wealthy private customers. M&A Bank has attracted…
Kuwait helps defend Lebanese pound with $100m
Kuwait has decided to deposit $100 million with Lebanon's central bank to help defend the Lebanese pound and raise depleted foreign reserves, the office of Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said on Jan. 25.Hariri's office said that the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab…
Buba tells Euro politicians to keep hands off ECB
Germany's central bank warned European finance ministers on Jan. 24 not to interfere with the European Central Bank after signs that some politicians were lobbying for more policy influence.The Bundesbank said in its January monthly report that the Euro…
Paramonova-CBR far from saying bank system is well
"The Central Bank of Russia is far from saying the national banking system is well", CBR First Deputy President, Tatyana Paramonova has said. As she spoke at a meeting of Russian and Israeli businessmen in Moscow on Jan. 24, 2000, Paramonova said that a…
IMF welcomes Sri Lankan rupee free float
The International Monetary Fund Jan. 24 welcomed Sri Lanka's free float of the local currency, saying the exchange rate could now be determined more freely by market forces. "The new exchange rate arrangement is in keeping with the broader reform agenda…
Lithuanian cbank considers litas law draft
Lithuania's central bank said on Jan. 24 its board would consider draft amendments to a law on Jan. 25 aimed at clearing the path for a shift in the litas currency's peg to the euro from the dollar. The Bank of Lithuania is looking to shift the peg on or…
Bank of Israel posts $1.6bn excess expense in 2000
The Bank of Israel said on Jan. 24 its expenses exceeded income by 6.7 billion shekels ($1.6 billion) in 2000 compared with an 8.7 billion shekel deficit in 1999. "This was the result of two main factors: The first, an excess of 3 billion shekels in…
Uganda c.bank sells $5m to support the shilling
The Central Bank of Uganda on Jan. 24, 2001, sold $5m to an interbank market already well supplied with dollars in an attempt to strengthen the shilling, dealers said. The shilling closed the day marginally up at 1,810/55 from a morning opening of 1,835…
UK's MPC voted 5-4 to leave rates steady in Jan
Britain's central bank was split almost down the middle over whether to cut interest rates this month, with five of the nine members voting to leave rates steady at 6.0 percent while four wanted to lower borrowing costs. The Bank of England's chief…
Jakarta says FX rules allow for interest rate cuts
Indonesia's chief economics minister said on Jan.24 the central bank's new forex rules would ease inflationary pressure, which would give room for the bank to cut interest rates. "Pressure from imported inflation should ease. This should allow (the…
Manila central bank to tap syndicated loan market
The Philippine central bank said on Jan 24 it may tap the syndicated loan market to pay off $400 million worth of debts maturing next month. Central bank governor Rafael Buenaventura said the government has received positive feedback for the planned…
RBNZ sees reduced inflation risk
New Zealand debt markets ended strongly on Jan. 24 after the Reserve Bank's comments on the inflation outlook were interpreted as having a dovish tone for rates. The central bank, in leaving its official cash rate unchanged at 6.50 percent, said it saw a…
Jakarta court to decide Feb 1 on cbank head's case
Indonesia's Central Jakarta Court said on Jan. 24 it would decide next week whether to continue the corruption trial of central bank governor Syahril Sabirin. Sabirin has labelled absurd the accusations which link him to a long-running scandal over huge…
Bank of Russia forms internet regulation division
In preparation for regulating banking operations on the Internet, the Bank of Russia has created a special division within its department for monitoring banks. Bankers have greeted this news enthusiastically, with the hope that the new division will…
MTS sees JGB volume soaring with electronic deals
The start of an electronic inter-dealer brokerage system for Japanese government bonds (JGBs) will bring a huge increase in trading volumes, MTS Japan Securities CEO William Campbell said in an interview.
Irish economy 'inconsistent' with rest of EU
The European Union's economic and monetary affairs commissioner, Pedro Solbes, said the Irish economy is "inconsistent" with that of the other member states. The commissioner has warned in the past that inflation is too high in Ireland and that the…
Cuisia lobbies for BSP chief to stay
Phillipines former central bank governor Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. has openly pledged his support for current governor Rafael B. Buenaventura to stay in his post, despite the resignation of Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who had appointed Buenaventura.
Zimbabwe inflation surges to 70%
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Leonard Tsumba said in Jan 2001 averageinflation is expected to rise to about 70 percent in 2001 from 55,7percent in 2000, further threatening the fragile economy.
Sarkinas reppointed as Bank of Lithuania governor
The Lithuanian parliament voted Jan. 23 to appoint Reinoldijus Sarkinas for a second five-year term as the governor of the central Bank of Lithuania. His new term begins on Feb. 15, 2001. The motion passed with 74 votes in favour, no votes against and…
Two senior officials appointed at IADB
The Inter-American Development Bank announced on Jan. 24 the appointment of Guillermo Calvo as chief economist and head of the Research Department and Carlos M. Jarque as manager of the Sustainable Development Department.
UAE tightens up on forex
The UAE central bank has issued new directives raising the minimum capital for a new exchange house with limited liability to $13.6m, and the same sum for an existing exchange house to change its status to limited liability. In addition this capital must…