Kazakhstan
National Bank of Kazakhstan sets base rate for first time
Central bank sets new benchmark interest rate at 12% in first monetary policy meeting under inflation targeting framework
Kazakh central bank moves to stabilise banking sector
Central bank launches plan to compensate depositors hit by collapse in value of tenge, as banks reliant on external funding run into problems
Tenge plunges as Kazakhstan moves to free float
Pressure on currency forces central bank to abandon peg, although the government casts it as the next step in the shift towards inflation targeting
Kazakhstan proposes sweeping changes to monetary policy framework
Central bank plans root-and-branch reform of its monetary policy with move to inflation targeting to be accompanied by revamped governance, communications, economic modelling and more
Kazakh central bank expects to hit inflation target if oil averages $50 or $60
National Bank of Kazakhstan publishes two forecasts with different assumptions about oil price; plans to limit market volatility by expanding monetary instruments
Lagarde lauds new Mexican bonds with ‘strengthened' collective action clauses
Mexico issued $2 billion in 10-year bonds with new collective action clauses, which Lagarde says ‘will play a critical role in enhancing the architecture for sovereign debt markets’
Angola SWF joins London-based international forum
Angolan sovereign wealth fund joins London-based International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds; Kazakh fund granted associate membership
Kazakh central bank fund seeks advisers on managing $110bn reserves
Consultants sought to help direct country's reserve management strategy and SWF's growth in the alternative assets space
IMF paper makes case for new policy rate in Kazakhstan
Economists say the National Bank of Kazakhstan should be equipped with a new policy rate to give it more direct influence over short-term interest rates
IMF pushes Kazakhstan to modernise monetary policy
The National Bank of Kazakhstan should widen its exchange rate band and adopt ‘more effective’ interest rate instruments, the IMF says
Kazakhs let currency fall 19%
National Bank of Kazakhstan points to the Fed taper and ‘uncertainty’ around the exchange rate of the Russian ruble as the main motivations for devaluing the tenge
Kazakhstan experiences 10-year inflation low
Quarterly inflation falls to 0.6% in latest figures; National Bank of Kazakhstan predicts it will increase in the coming quarter but remain in check throughout 2014
Kazakhstan’s integration of alternative assets into its reserves management
Resource-rich Kazakhstan has embraced alternatives through the creation of a new fund to drive returns and improve diversification of its foreign reserves. Yeszhan Birtanov reports
Kazakh governor replaced for 'family reasons'
Long-serving central bank governor Grigory Marchenko steps down in favour of deputy prime minister Kairat Kelimbetov
Kazakh banks should go beyond Basel III, says central bank
Financial stability report calls for banks to boost capital levels above Basel III requirements; encourages largest banks to clean up balance sheets and lend more
National Bank of Kazakhstan’s SWF seeks new fund managers
Central bank issues tenders for two managers to oversee portfolios worth $50-150 million each
Central banks make “record” gold purchases in Q2
World Gold Council says central banks bought 254.2 tonnes of gold in the first half of 2012; Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Ukraine and Guatemala among the countries that added to reserves
Gold demand drops from high 2011 figures
Gold Demand Trends report from World Gold Council notes 5% lower demand in Q1 this year compared with 2011
IMF paper finds supply-side measures can help combat food price inflation
International Monetary Fund working paper suggests interest rate or administrative changes in emerging economies are unlikely to be as effective as supply-side initiatives
Kazakhstan puts faith in gold
Governor announces central bank will buy entire domestic gold bullion output until at least 2014
Kazakhstan reports large decline in credit card fraud
National Bank of Kazakhstan says there was a 25.4% decline in credit card fraud cases in 2010
Kazakhstan may convert some reserves into yuan: reports
Governor of the central bank says he expects the yuan to be “globally recognised as a reserve currency” this year; currency swap deal on the cards
Kazakhstan latest to step away from dollar
The National Bank of Kazakhstan, which has seen foreign currency reserves drop sharply, shifts towards euro on fears over the dollar’s weakness
High oil prices lift output of exporting economies
Bank of Finland research finds that for Iran, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and Russia oil price positively affects output growth