Central Banking
Malaysia ex-cbank chief named Mahathir's adviser
MALAYSIA - Former Malaysian central bank governor Ali Abul Hassan Sulaiman has been named as a special economic adviser to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the official Bernama news agency said on Apr 16.
Canada cuts interest rates to 5% to boost demand
CANADA - The Bank of Canada on Apr 17 cut its key lending rate to 5.0 percent from 5.25 percent and the overnight rate to 4.75 percent from 5.0 percent to support the economy in the face of slowing domestic demand.
IMF forecasts 3% growth in Czech Republic
CZECH REPUBLIC - The International Monetary Fund said on Apr 17 it expected the Czech economy to grow by around three percent 2001 after 3.1 percent in 2000.
Mongolia's inflation rises due to foot-and-mouth
MONGOLIA - Mongolia said on Apr 17, 2001 its annual inflation rose to 11.6 percent in March, up from 9.4 percent in February, as meat prices leapt under the impact of foot-and-mouth disease and a disastrous winter.
Philippine monetary board OKs liquidity facility
PHILIPPINES - The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Philippine central bank, has approved the establishment of an inter-day liquidity facility to help banks in their financing requirements.
Iran plans to tap capital markets for funds-cbank
IRAN - Iran is talking to foreign banks with a view to raising money on the international capital markets "when the time is right", the central bank governor, Mohsen Nourbaksh, said on Apr 16.
Chile central bank eliminates 'encaje' rule
CHILE - Chile's Central Bank on Apr 16 eliminated its "encaje" rule, which requires foreign investors to deposit an amount equivalent to a percentage of their investments with the central bank at no interest.
Argentine cbank chief hopes to stay through 2004
ARGENTINA - Argentina's Central Bank President Pedro Pou on Apr 16 denied market rumors that he planned to heed calls that he resign amid allegations that he turned a blind eye to money laundering.
IMF selects director of new evaluation office
IMF - Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been appointed as the new director of the International Monetary Fund's independent Evaluation Office (EVO).
Lemierre rejects talks on ECB candidature - report
GERMANY - Jean Lemierre, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, dismissed media speculation he is a candidate as the next head of the European Central Bank, a British newspaper reported on Apr 16.
India's cbank tightens banks' bullion trade norms
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India has tightened bullion trading norms for commercial banks after some of them faced potential losses from their exposure to a cooperative bank that specialises in gold trade.
BOJ leaves monetary policy unchanged
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's policy board voted unanimously to keep its current policy unchanged at its first two-day policy board meeting that ended Apr 13, 2001.
Trichet says ECB immune to rate cut pressures
FRANCE - The European Central Bank will not and should not be influenced by outside pressures for a cut in interest rates, Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet said on Apr 12, 2001.
US economy appears to be stabilizing-Fed's Hoenig
UNITED STATES - The U.S. economy is showing signs of stabilizing and will likely pick up speed in the second half of 2001, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Thomas Hoenig said on Apr 12.
Egypt cbank cuts rates for first time in 28 months
EGYPT - Egypt's Central Bank on Apr 12 cut its discount rate to 11.5 percent from 12 percent in a move welcomed by market operators, but which some analysts feared would do too little to boost the sluggish economy.
RBA supervises credit card payment systems
AUSTRALA - The Reserve Bank of Australia took supervisory control of Australian credit card service fees on Apr 12, putting under threat A$600 million in fees the banks earn from Bankcard, MasterCard and VISA schemes.
Thai central bank demands forex exposure details
THAILAND - The Bank of Thailand has issued a circular telling banks to provide details on their foreign debt exposure and repayment obligations when they buy dollars from local commercial banks.
Brazil's new payment system delayed to Jan 2002
BRAZIL - The Brazilian central bank late on Apr 11 said it delayed the implementation of the country's new system for payments for the banking sector to January 2002, to allow for more testing.
Nigerian president, bankers meet on currency drop
NIGERIA - The naira currency resumed trading in Nigeria on Apr 12 following a two-day closure of the local forex market.
Malaysia Citibank's Noorazman to head LOFSA
MALAYSIA - Citibank's vice-president Noorazman Abdul Aziz has been appointed the new director-general of Labuan Offshore Financial Service Authority, or LOFSA, replacing Mohd Razif Abdul Kadir.
Zdenek calls for state finance reform-paper
CZECH REPUBLIC - Czech public finance deficits could threaten the country's macroeconomic stability in two or three years if reforms are not taken, daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted the central bank Governor Zdenek Tuma as saying on Apr 13.
BOI pleads banks to hold back from euro rush
ITALY - The Bank of Italy, fearing overcrowding at banking counters in the first days of the change over from the lira to the euro in January 2002, has urged Italian banks to persuade their clients there is no hurry.
Iranian inflation drops to 10-year low in 2000/01
IRAN - Iran's inflation dropped to 12.8 percent during the Iranian financial year ending on Mar 20, 2001 its lowest level for 10 years, a newspaper reported on Apr 14 citing central bank figures.
Turkey has no target for floated lira-Dervis
TURKEY - Turkish Economy Minister Kemal Dervis on Apr 14 said there is no target value for the country's lira currency, which has fallen over 40 percent against the dollar since its float in late February 2001.