The Sveriges Riksbank needs to make a profit in the long run to be able to cover the costs of its operations and thus safeguard its independence from the government and parliament, first deputy governor Kerstin af Jochnick said today during a speech in Stockholm.

"We must be able to build up buffers so we do not jeopardise our ability to perform our tasks," said af Jochnick, but added it was "not self-evident that the Riksbank will always report large profits year after year" and the coming five