Banks
Thailand eases bank credit-card rules
THAILAND - Thailand's central bank Friday announced it has eased rules and regulations governing commercial banks' credit-card services in order to promote competitiveness and improve the quality of service.
ECB stands in contrast to Bank of England
FEATURE - Tuesday's London edition FT reports on the difficulties central banks can face in identifying and maintaining ideal inflation targets.
Argentine Peso will not be fixed, says Lavagna
ARGENTINA - Argentina's banks and exchange markets will open today for the first time in nine days, as the new economy minister, Roberto Lavagna, attempts to calm fears of a wholesale collapse of the financial system.
Dep gov, Thomopoulos, interested in becoming chief
GREECE - Bank of Greece's depupy-governor, Panagiotis Thomopoulos, on Friday expressed his interest in replacing Mr Lucas Papademos at the central bank's head.
PBOC to regulate online banking in China
CHINA - Banks opening online-banking services for the first time need to have their headquarters file an application with the People's Bank of China (PBOC), its branches or business-management departments, according to interim measures regulating online…
Argentina tightens banking freeze
ARGENTINA - Argentina's Congress has passed a law aimed at rescuing the country's banks by making it more difficult for savers to withdraw their cash.
An overview of the Federal Reserve System
FEATURE - In an interesting article Hoover's Company Profiles look at the history of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve Act followed the panic which ensued after the failure of New York's Knickerbocker Trust Company in 1907. J. P. Morgan strong…
No need for more transparency at ECB says Noyer
BELGIUM - European Central Bank Vice President Christian Noyer said on Tuesday there was no reason for the time being to increase the banks transparency by publishing minutes of the ECB's closed-door meetings, but did not rule it at some point in the…
BOK encourages payments made via internet
SOUTH KOREA - The central bank is encouraging people to make payments of bills for taxes and public utility services through the Internet due to its convenience and efficiency, in the midst of banks' reluctance to handle such dealings at their windows.
Brazil's central bank aids debut of new SPB today
BRAZIL - The Central Bank reduced the interest rate charged banks in one-day rediscount operations from 6% to 1% a year, plus the variation of the Selic basic interest rate.
Basel Committee Publications No. 89
REPORT - Sharing of financial records between jurisdictions in connection with the fight against terrorist financing, April 2002.
FX traders to kiss goodbye to settlement risk
FEATURE - Currency traders, more aware of the potential for disruption in the financial system after September 11, should draw comfort from a long-awaited settlement system linked to central banks that is due to go live this year.
Croatia moves to restore confidence in banks
CROATIA - The Croatian National Bank is seeking to restore confidence in the country's banks after politicians suggested a trading scandal might have affected more than one bank.
Speech by Governor, Danmarks Nationalbank, 11 Apr
SPEECH - In the speech Andersen rejected the suggestion that the central bank is targeting some kind of "normal rate spread" over European Central Bank interest rates.
WGC reaffirms, central banks should not sell gold
AUSTRALIA - The World Gold Council is continuing to ask European central banks to leave their reserves alone rather than putting quantities of gold up for auction, WGC managing director Robert Weinberg said Tuesday.
House votes to end banking ban
US - The Senate House has voted to end a 70-year-old ban on banks paying interest on business checking accounts.
Gold market calmer on Welteke reassurance
GERMANY - The gold market was reassured by the statement made by Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke on Thursday that the international agreement limiting gold sales by central banks was worth extending once it expired at the end of 2004 and that any…
BofE uses Marks and Spencer to raise money supply
UK - A shortage of quality £5 notes, due to banks' reluctance to stock the relatively low value notes in ATM cashpoint machines, has led the Bank of England to turn to post offices and Marks and Spencer to distribute used fivers.
Russian c banker in court for abuse of office
RUSSIA - The Zamoskvoretskiy intermunicipal court in Moscow begins proceedings in the criminal case involving Aleksandr Alekseyev, deputy head of the Russian Central Bank's main territorial directorate for Moscow, ITAR-TASS reports.
Bangladesh to close 500 bank branches
BANGLADESH - The central bank in Bangladesh has disclosed a plan to close down 500 branches of state owned commercial banks which were incurring losses over the last five years.
Argentine c bank says banks can release funds Jan
ARGENTINA - The Argentine Central Bank said on Friday it would allow commercial banks next January to release deposits which have been frozen in their vaults since late last year to the fury of depositors.
China updates rules for bank's risk management
CHINA - China's central bank has updated guidelines on internal risk management in an attempt to further coax commercial banks into reducing credit risk.
Vietnam cuts banks' reserve requirement to 8 pct
VIETNAM - Vietnam's central bank said on Tuesday it had cut the level of reserves banks must maintain for foreign currency deposits to eight percent from 10 percent.
PBOC challenged on conflict in supervisory role
CHINA - A fierce debate is raging within the Chinese Government over whether to remove from the central bank its role as supervisor of the banks and set up a new organisation that would do a better job.