Central Banking
IMF launches new dollar emergency liquidity facility
Facility could fill “critical gap” left by central bank dollar swap lines, senior IMF official says
BoE moves to renewable energy
Bank of England says it has already beaten its 2016 target for carbon dioxide reduction
Swiss central bank reports record quarterly losses
SNB loses $39.1 billion as falls in equities wipe out gains on Swiss franc positions and gold holdings
Pandemics can depress natural rates for multiple decades – SF Fed
Real wages tend to rise gradually for 30 years after pandemics, data stretching back to 1340s shows
Banks’ ‘geographic complexity’ raises some risks and cuts others – BIS paper
Global reach has complex effect on banks’ risk profiles, authors find
Turkey continues easing cycle with 100bp cut
Policy-makers see oil shock creating room for stronger easing
Bank of Mexico cuts rates in emergency meeting
Central bank unveils set of measures to boost liquidity amounting to $30.5 billion, 3.3% of GDP
Riksbank will start buying municipal bonds
Central bank includes new assets in 300 billion kronor purchase programme
Private sector banker appointed Bank of Namibia chief
President acknowledges long-standing deputy might have felt “passed over” for role
MAS to give $88m in grants to Singapore fintech industry
MAS offers grants to fintech firms in bid to help them survive coronavirus shock
The IFF China Report 2020: The Belt and Road Initiative
Over the past six years, China has invested more than $500 billion in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – of which there are now in excess of 150 participating counties and organisations. Leading Chinese and international policy-makers explain how BRI…
Most eurozone states experience fiscal spillovers – ECB paper
Eurozone fiscal policy may be especially effective when rate changes have little impact, paper says
Statisticians grapple with inflation impact of Covid-19
Collecting reliable inflation figures during lockdown is not straightforward
Women affected more by job losses in US lockdown – Kansas Fed
Roughly 60% of job losses were to women in the first half of March, researchers find
Fed’s balance sheet increases by 50% since March
Total assets now just shy of $6.4 trillion, a new record high
Martin Galstyan named next Armenian central bank chief
Experienced central banker will inherit below-target inflation and depressed commodity prices
Lebanese central bank tries to stem currency crisis
Central bank unfreezes dollar accounts at sharply reduced rate as future of banking sector is unclear
PBoC confirms digital currency pilot
Central bank will test central bank digital currency in a number of provinces
Cash usage falls further in Netherlands
Study shows contactless payments are the main driver away from cash payments
Fed banks ramp up Covid-19 surveying
Real-time and weekly surveys reveal deepening economic fallout
Lowe tells Australians to prepare for biggest contraction since 1930s
Uncertainty and movement restrictions have hampered spending and increased unemployment
IMF announces four more major aid packages
Haiti receives half of IMF funding quota while Moldova, Bolivia and Côte d’Ivoire get 100%
Norway’s SWF leadership caught up in expenses scandal
Incoming chief executive asked current CEO for a favour weeks after inviting him to a seminar in the US
FSB consults on cyber attack ‘response and recovery’
“Efficient and effective response” is critical to minimising the financial stability impact, report says