Asia
Bank Negara Malaysia surprises market with ‘pre-emptive’ rate cut
Analyst believes move signals end to “brief easing cycle”
Violence in Myanmar could hamper growth – World Bank
Investor confidence is being damaged by sustained conflict, despite robust growth
HKMA says banks should set up AI hub
Hong Kong lenders should establish “centre of excellence” to improve use of AI, central bank says
Bank Negara Malaysia seeks feedback on new climate taxonomy
Central bank proposes classifying activities based on how much they harm the environment and how willing businesses are to improve
Risk weight tweak could fix IFRS 9 capital clash – research
Practitioner suggests way to cancel out double-counting of Basel credit loss provisions
Hong Kong supervisory framework needs further strengthening – IMF
Growth outlook has deteriorated but banking sector well positioned, says fund
2019: The year in review
The past year was marked by a persistent weakening of the global economy, and some radical financial innovations
PBoC’s monetary policy framework not likely to change – RBA research
Institutional structure and economic development model prevents alignment with international peers, paper argues
ECB paper examines low inflation’s impact on Asia
Researchers study impact of downside inflationary shocks on 12 of region’s largest economies
PBoC governor vows to stay away from QE and negative rates
Beijing should maintain “normal” monetary policy, as ultra-low rates in developed markets proved ineffective, says governor
Cyber stress tests reveal risks in Singaporean firms
Insurance firms report potential losses as high as $3.4 billion, while banks’ costs could hit 65% of quarterly profits
Indonesia’s central bank pledges major infrastructure changes
Five-year plan aims to upgrade payments infrastructure and boost inclusion rates
Facing up to the tech challenge
Central banks get a wake-up call from libra
MAS develops fintech information-sharing platform
Singapore partners with Canadian and French regulators; Banque de France opens new office in Singapore
MAS develops multi-currency blockchain network
Prototype developed in tandem with JP Morgan and Temasek enables payments to be carried out in different currencies
Central banks turn to Instagram to reach younger generations
The audiovisual social media network is helping some central banks offer financial education and other campaigns for millennials and Gen Zs
Central banks report sharp improvement in data governance
Progress comes as many central banks complete projects to improve governance
IMF draws links between transparency and debt accumulation
Fund praises efforts taken by Tunisia and Uzbekistan, and urges others in the region to improve accountability of fiscal institutions
IMF paper tracks Asian authorities’ responses to volatile capital flows
Monetary policy typically responds to several variables in pursuit of greater stability, analysis finds
Indonesia cuts rates for fourth time this year
Indonesia has cut a total of 100bp in the latest cycle; more cuts are possible but depend on Fed move and rupiah stability
Big tech: a threat to banks?
The explosive growth of financial services offered by big tech companies in China offers important lessons
BSP governor rules out Philippines involvement in Asian currency war
Rate cuts by Central Bank of the Philippines due to ‘domestic factors’
People: Bank of Canada appoints new deputy
Bank of Canada promotes from within; BIS appoints regional chair; FCA names new executive
30 years of central banking
Central banks face credibility tests on a number of fronts