Inflation
Japan heading for recession as economy contracts in third quarter
Bank of Japan’s back-to-back monetary easing in October was due to a significant weakening in the country’s economic outlook
Bank of Mexico expects inflation to continue falling
Report says inflation will near 4% by end of 2012; growth expectations also revised
Fed paper presents improved model of inflation and unemployment
Authors develop a bivariate model that they believe improves upon univariate benchmarks
RBI director wants to bolster inflation measures
Deepak Mohanty proposes the introduction of inflation-indexed bonds and the expansion of households' survey
Russia holds interest rate as indicators stabilise
Russian central bank board of directors say inflation has fallen to 6.4% and economic activity has slowed
Kenya eases policy with 200bp rate cut
Central bank says financial stability has created conditions for monetary policy to be gradually eased; interest rates cut by 5.5 percentage points in two months
Malawi governor questions the cost of controlling inflation
Charles Chuka considers the potential effects of tightening monetary policy to rein in an inflation rate approaching 30%
Riksbank minutes reveal further rate cut rejected
Board members vote to hold interest rate at 1.25% despite two deputies' reservations
Macedonian governor says economy is stagnant
Dimitar Bogov lowers Macedonia’s growth forecast down from 1% to stagnation; expects gradual recovery in following years
Zambia rate rise to suppress excess liquidity
Bank of Zambia monetary policy committee increases interest rate to combat a range of inflationary pressures
Stockton review finds Bank of England’s forecasting ability wanting
A study commissioned by the Court of the Bank of England finds biases in forecasting and a lack of allowance for lateral thinking at the UK central bank
Panic in Persia as hyperinflation hits Iran
Iran’s implied monthly inflation rate hit 69.6% in September, meaning the country appears to be entering the world's 58th hyperinflation episode
RBI pushes government to act on fiscal consolidation promises
Reserve Bank of India chief calls on government to make concrete progress on fiscal consolidation as central bank holds rates but cuts reserve requirements
Singapore review exposes plummeting growth rates
Biannual Monetary Authority of Singapore macroeconomic review details large drop in growth rates; inflation and unemployment steady
Finland paper advocates partial commitment to inflation targeting
Bank of Finland study warns of dangers involved in ‘over-committing’ to interest rate adjustments in reaction to price changes; suggests short-term reactions may be appropriate
Bank of Russia reveals 2011 annual report
Russian economy grew while central bank battled inflation; exchange rate policy adjusted in transition to fully floating regime
RBNZ’s new governor rejects QE and capital controls
Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Graeme Wheeler sees no need to introduce a ‘desperate’ measure such as quantitative easing in the country; rules out use of capital controls to limit kiwi dollar appreciation
Thailand lowers growth and inflation forecasts
Bank of Thailand says export demand has softened in latest quarterly inflation report; inflationary pressures will decrease as a result
Third-quarter figures show Spain still grappling with economic woes
Bank of Spain economic bulletin for the third quarter shows continued weakening of growth and range of other economic indicators; raises possibility government will not meet deficit target this year
Solomon Islands hit by trade deficit
Quarterly review of economic performance in the Solomon Islands reveals drop in country’s trade balance; weaker export production responsible
Papua New Guinea governor to tackle high liquidity
Loi Bakani discusses the state of Papua New Guinea’s economy; outlines the risks linked with high levels of fund inflows and how the central bank is addressing them
Central Bank of Iceland minutes hint at future tightening
Interest rate hold narrowly passed by central bank’s monetary policy committee in October as Iceland appears to shift towards withdrawing accommodative policy in near future
Angolan governor praises inflation targeting
José de Lima Massano says the National Bank of Angola’s inflation targeting policy has brought inflation down to ‘single digit’; says policy helps prick speculative bubbles and encourages investment
Bank of Israel optimistic on economic activity
A report on economic developments in Israel shows growth has continued at a moderate pace, increasing in the second quarter of the year, as other indicators paint a positive picture for future economic activity