Inflation
Australia keeps rate at six-year high
Glenn Stevens, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, announced on 6 June that the central bank would keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the sixth meeting in succession. Rates remain unchanged at a six-year high of 6.25%.
Polish inflation within target range - governor
The governor of the National Bank of Poland, Slawomir Skrzypek, says inflation should remain within the central bank's target range of 1.5% to 3.5% until mid-2008.
Bank Indonesia more bullish
Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, has upgraded its national economic growth forecast for this year from 6% to 6.2%. The latest inflation figures are also better than those forecast by the central bank.
Risks rising for emerging markets - RBI's Reddy
Y.V. Reddy, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has warned that new financial market players and instruments, as well as greater market integration, mean that the risk of contagion to emerging economies may have grown.
Ball: globalisation does not affect inflation
A recent paper by Laurence Ball for the National Bureau of Economic Research suggetss that "globalisation has had little effect on the rate of inflation in the United States."
Pig disease threatens inflation rise in China
Food prices, especially those of pork and eggs which make a substantial contribution to the country's inflation rate, are being closely watched by the People's Bank of China.
Serbian inflation on the rise
The governor of the National Bank of Serbia says the central bank expects the country's overall inflation rate to reach 6% this year.
Bernanke: US inflation slowing, but risks remain
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says US core inflation "seems likely to moderate gradually over time", but there are "upside" risks to this forecast.
Inflation expectations contained - Turkey's Yilmaz
Speaking at a conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, governor Durmus Yilmaz said the central "strong reaction" to financial turmoil in 2006 "have contained inflation expectations" and that these will …
Russian central bank predicts fall in inflation
The first deputy chairman of the Russian central bank, Alexei Ulyukayev, said on 4 June that the country's inflation is likely to fall to 5.2% for the first six months of this year, one percentage point down on the same period in 2006.
Spain's Ordoez: immigration keeps inflation low
Miguel Ordoez, the governor of the Bank of Spain, said that immigration into Spain has helped keep inflation rates relatively low, in a speech at a symposium on the Phillips curve and the natural rate hypothesis in Kiel, Germany on 3 June.
Kroszner on risks and outlook for US economy
Economic growth will in the US pick up through 2007, rising to close to potential by 2008, said Randall Kroszner, a member of the Board of Governors, at the spring meeting of the IIF in Athens, adding that the risks to the inflation outlook are primarily…
ECB's Papademos hints at rate rises
In one of the strongest hints at further rate rises for the eurozone later this year, Lucas Papademos, the Vice-President of the European Central Bank, said forecasts for economic growth in 2007 and 2008 are above the region's potential.
Fed minutes reveal worries over inflation, housing
The minutes of the latest monetary policy meeting of the Federal Reserve contained few surprises, but underlined the fact that policymakers remained concerned about an "upward drift in inflation expectations".
Fundanga on the outlook for the Zambian economy
After recording single-digit inflation for the first time in 30 years last year, Zambia's economy has slipped back somewhat in the first quarter of 2007, the governor of the central bank, Caleb Fundanga, told national radio.
Nishimura sees third quarter inflation rise
Kiyohiko Nishimura, a board member of the Bank of Japan, says inflation is likely to rise in October this year.
Canadian growth beats central bank forecast
The growth of the Canadian economy during the first quarter of this year was stronger than the central bank expected official statistic released on 31 May revealed. The upside shock appears to have sealed the case for rate hikes later this year.
UK's Blanchflower explains voting behaviour
In a speech on 30 May David Blanchflower, member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, said that he voted to raise rates for the first time since joining the MPC in June 2006 because he wanted to indicate to the public the Bank's intention…
Inflation breaches SARB's target
South Africa's targeted CPIX inflation has breached the South African Reserve Bank's 3% to 6% inflation target for the first time since August 2003.
Euro lending and money growth slows
The European Central Bank's current tightening cycle appears to be starting to make its mark. Mortgage lending growth in the eurozone has slowed to the lowest for more than three years.
Why worry about inflation? - Sri Lankan deputy gov
In this speech W.A. Wijewardena, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, explains why "inflation is undoubtedly the public enemy number one."
India's Reddy seeks lower inflation
Reserve Bank of India governor Y.V. Reddy says curbing inflation while managing the transition to a higher-growth path was the central bank's "overarching policy challenge."
RBNZ's Bollard gets second term
New Zealand's finance minister, Michael Cullen, reappointed Alan Bollard for a second five-year term, the Reserve Bank announced.
South Africa's Mboweni outlines inflation threats
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, has identified union-driven salary disputes and increasing food and oil prices as the main threats to the current inflation outlook in the country.