Central Banking
Poland cuts interest rates by 100 bp
POLAND - Poland's Monetary Policy Council (MPC) cut its interest rates on Mar 28, 2001 by 100 basis points to between 17 and 21 percent, the National Bank of Poland said in a statement.
Fitch cuts Czech currency rating, crown hit
CZECH REPUBLIC - International rating agency Fitch on Mar 28, 2001 cut the Czech Republic's long-term local currency rating, knocking the crown off recent historic highs, though analysts said the currency's firming trend remains.
S.Africa govt says gradual reduction of NOFP best
SOUTH AFRICA - South Africa's Treasury said on Mar 28, 2001 it was committed to steadily reducing its uncovered forward foreign exchange exposure and would not borrow massively abroad to do so.
Malaysia's cbank annual report-growth 6% in 2001
MALAYSIA - Malaysia's economy will expand by around 6% in 2001 with the help of the new 3 billion ringgit supplementary budget announced Mar 27, 2001, the central bank said in its annual report Mar 28.
US Fed urges bankers to disclose more
SUPERVISION - In an advisory letter on Mar 23, 2001, the Federal Reserve Board urged large banking organizations to adopt a high-level, private-sector working group's recommendations for broader and more frequent public disclosures as a way to improve…
New measure of core inflation in the UK-BoE paper
CENTRAL BANK RESEARCH - The Bank of England's monetary policy committee research unit has published a paper which addresses the usefulness of measures of core inflation. The paper, commissioned by external MPC member DeAnne Julius, uses an 'improved'…
ISRAEL-New government's first steps-Klein speech
SPEECH - David Klein, governor of the Bank of Israel, gave a speech on Mar 23, 2001 titled "Economic Policy: The New Government's First Steps". He warns the new government to take heed from lessons from the past and not to expect too much from monetary…
G10 payment systems 1999 statistics-BIS report
BIS REPORT - The Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems at the Bank for International Settlements has published "Statistics on Payment Systems in the Group of Ten Countries: Figures for 1999". This is an annual publication that provides data on…
Fed survey: US banks growing wary of lending
UNITED STATES - A special survey conducted by the Federal Reserve reveals that credit terms from US banks have continued to tighten since January
ECB working papers for March 2001
CENTRAL BANK RESEARCH - The European Central Bank has published four refereed working papers in March, subjects ranging from financial market integration in the Eurozone, deposit insurance and the effects on moral hazard, to modelling the term structure…
Fast-tracking EU securities market reform-Bishop
LAMFALUSSY REPORT - At the Mar 23/24 Summit, EU leaders succeeded in offering the European Parliament a compromise that should be acceptable, clearing the way to rapid action on the Lamfalussy Report on securities markets regulation, reports Graham…
Duisenberg to give way to Trichet mid-02-Lemierre
EUROPE - The European Central Bank on Mar 27, 2001 declined to comment on remarks by a senior European banker suggesting ECB President Wim Duisenberg will step down in mid-2002 to make way for Bank of France head Jean-Claude Trichet.
Thai PM goes easy on ex-central bankers
THAILAND - It is premature to blame two former central bank governors for costing the state 44 billion baht in the failed attempt to defend the baht in 1996-97, Thailand's prime minister said on Mar 26, 2001.
House committee urges RBA to increase transparency
AUSTRALIA - A two-year study of international financial markets by Australia's House of Representatives economics committee has concluded that the the Reserve Bank of Australia has to explain more about its monetary policy decisions and economic thinking.
Bank of Israel cuts April lending rate to 7.2%
ISRAEL - The Bank of Israel said on Mar 26, 2001 it was lowering its key lending rate to 7.2 percent in April 2001 from 7.5 percent in March, fractionally above market expectations of a 0.2 percentage point cut.
How Greenspan measures the e-economy
SPEECH - speaking on March 27 Fed chairman, Alan Greenspan revealed some of the Fed techniques for modelling and measuring the hi-tech sectors of the US economy
Iceland c.bank intervenes to help falling crown
ICELAND - Iceland's central bank intervened on the local foreign exchange market on Mar 26, 2001 for the second straight session to support the falling Icelandic crown, but with limited success.
Algeria increases number of MPC members
ALGERIA - According to Algerian TV on Mar 24, parliament approved amendments to the law of Algeria's central bank, allowing the president to nominate the governor and deputy governors.
Euro drop in 2000 was normal dip - Fed's Poole
EUROPE - The euro's weakness against the dollar last year was a "perfectly normal" dip of a sort which all currencies suffer from time to time, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President William Poole said on Mar 27, 2001.
Laos cbank governor appointed finance minister
LAOS - In a government reshuffle which saw Laotian deputy prime minister and finance minister Bounnyang Vorachit elected prime minister on Mar 27, 2001, central bank governor Soukan Mahalath was elected to succeed Bounnyang as the new finance minister.
J.P. Morgan to include Singapore in GBI Board
SINGAPORE - Singapore will become the 22nd country in J.P. Morgan's Government Bond Index Board (GBI Board) starting on April 2 with a 0.3 percent market capitalisation weighting.
Swedish inflation risks muted - central bank
SWEDEN - The Sveriges Riksbank on Mar 27, 2001 left its key repo rate unchanged at 4.00 percent and cited subdued inflation pressures in a pointer that interest rates would remain on hold or fall in the next few months.
Kerstin Hessius to be Stockholm Bourse head
SWEDEN - OM Gruppen AB on Mar 26, 2001 named former Riksbank Deputy Governor Kerstin Hessius as the new president of the Stockholm stock exchange, officially known as Stockholmsboersen.
Libya names new bank governor, economy minister
LIBYA - Libya has split the finance and economy ministry and appointed a new central bank governor in a minor government reshuffle, officials said on Mar 26, 2001.