Central Banking
Banker confirms downturn of Costa Rican economy
The President of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, Eduardo Lizano, confirmed Friday a dramatic deceleration of economy with GDP growth down to 1.4% this year from 8.2% of the year before.
ECB head sees rosy future for euro
The president of the European Central Bank, Wim Duisenberg, has spoken about a turnaround in euro exchange rates for the first time, telling Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun in an interview in Frankfurt that the European currency could keep rising.
Ecuador awaits IMF visit to review econ program
A team from the International Monetary Fund will arrive in Ecuador in the next few days to evaluate the country's macroeconomic program.
Open Society: Reforming Global Capitalism - Soros
Although the markets remain obsessed with his investment strategies, George Soros says his energies over much of the past decade have been focused elsewhere. Over the past four years, his charitable foundations have spent something like $2 billion in…
Fed's Kelley warns of excessive US slowing risk
US Federal Reserve governor Edward Kelley said on Friday the central bank was closely watching the risks of an excessive slowdown as the world's top economy moves to a less inflation-prone rate of expansion.
No need to return to zero-rate policy - Miyazawa
Japanese finance minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Friday he does not think the Bank of Japan needs to restore its zero-interest-rate policy, although the economy needs to be watched carefully in the areas of personal consumption and employment.
NBS approves draft bank law, 2001 money programme
The board of the National Bank of Slovakia today approved the monetary programme for next year and the draft law on banks which is designed to bring Slovak banking closer to the EU rules, Jan Onda, spokesman for the NBS, said to reporters.
CNB chief, deputy minister assess joining Eurozone
The date of the Czech Republic joining the European monetary union remains unclear. It depends on the speed of the Czech Republic moving closer to the EU, on political decisions and on the harmonisation of legal systems. This was stated by Czech National…
Prevention, mgmt of financial crises - David Klein
The follow are the prepared remarks by Bank of Israel governor Dr David Klein fpr a meeting on Finance and Development.
Klein: Violence won't alter Israel monetary policy
David Klein, the governor of the Bank of Israel, gave a speech today in which he reiterated his view that the current unrest in Israel will not result in a change in current Bank of Israel monetary policy.
Fund seeks its own watchdog
The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board has named Ray & Berndstson, a US-based international executive search firm, to identify candidates for the position of Director of the IMF's newly created independent Evaluation Office.
Buba says many points in Basel Accord unresolved
Germany's Bundesbank said on Thursday regulators had left many points unresolved after meeting in New York this week to review changes to the Basel Accord on global banking regulations.
Welteke plays down EMU warnings ahead of Nice
Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke on Thursday played down his earlier warnings about allowing eastern European countries into the Eurozone too soon, just as a difficult summit on EU enlargement started in Nice.
Amended CNB law worsens EU accession chances
The Chamber of Deputies today did not identify itself with the arguments of the European Commission and decided that the controversial amended law on the Czech National Bank will take effect on 1 January 2001, central bank spokesman Milan Tomanek told…
Lithuanian and Polish cbanks sign supervisory deal
Governors of the central banks of Poland and Lithuania on Thursday signed an agreement to facilitate banking supervision between the two countries.
Yugoslav parliament appoints cbank deputy governor
Yugoslavia's parliament appointed a Montenegrin deputy central bank governor on Thursday, ending a row over the post that threatened to postpone Belgrade's return to the International Monetary Fund this month.
Fraga says Brazil inflation on target in 2001
Brazil's central bank president Arminio Fraga said on Thursday that inflation in Latin America's biggest economy was on track at 4% for 2001, despite a pending new minimum wage increase.
Italy govt bides time over court bank-loan ruling
Italian Treasury minister Vincenzo Visco said on Thursday the government had yet to decide what action to take after the Supreme Court ruled banks should refund loan interest payments amounting to billions of euros.
Balcerowicz proposed for Polish central bank chief
Poland's president on Thursday named Leszek Balcerowicz, the architect of the country's free market reforms in the early 1990s, as his candidate to become the new central bank chief, the presidential press office said.
Zimbabwe foreign payment arrears reach $488m
Zimbabwe's foreign payment arrears, a result of severe hard currency shortages, stood at $488m in November, according to statistics published by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe this week.
UK supervisor warns banks over telecom exposure
Britain's financial regulator on Thursday intensified pressure on banks to display vigilance in managing their multi-billion dollar exposure to the telecom sector.
RBI governor favours flexible inflation target
Central bank inflation targets should be flexible to allow for varying economic conditions, Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan said Thursday.
Welteke - cannot say yet if euro turned around
Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke on Thursday said he could not tell whether the euro has already turned the corner, adding that the currency's further performance depended on US economic growth.