Financial Stability
European Central Bank Report
REPORT - Publication of the second edition of the accession country Blue Book. The European Central Bank (ECB) is today (30 August) publishing a report entitled "Payment and securities settlement systems in accession countries", the "accession country…
Reserve Bank of Australia Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE - Reform of credit card schemes in Australia, 27 August.
Spanish yet to return 2.4bn euros worth of pesetas
SPAIN - 2.4bn euros in notes and coins is yet to be changed into euros, according to Spain's central bank.
South African Reserve Bank Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE - Mr Tito Mboweni, the South African Reserve Bank Governor, launches the Johannesburg World Summit Coin series, 22 August.
Yugoslav bank chief rejects Montenegrin proposal
YUGOSLAVIA - Yugoslav National (central) Bank (NBY) Governor Mladjan Dinkic said on Wednesday that the proposal by the Montenegrin central bank governor regarding payments operations with Serbia was a step backwards from the earlier NBY proposal for…
SA Reserve Bank launches Summit memorial coins
SOUTH AFRICA - Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni has launched a coin series to commemorate the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
RBI to use post offices for coin distribution
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India is planning to distribute coins in exchange of currency notes through post offices and even railway counters, the Hindu newspaper reports. The decision is part of its efforts to bridge the gap between excess demand from…
New Bank of England £5 notes reissued
UK - The Bank of England is to restart distribution of the new £5 notes. The notes have already been delivered to banks and post offices, and from Wednesday morning are being made available to the public.
Fedtalk from the Boston Fed, May 2002
PUBLICATION - Financial Services Update of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, May 2002. A newsletter about Boston Fed financial services, Fedtalk offers the latest information on check services and electronic delivery systems. The most recent edition,…
Pakistan State Bank directs banks to set up ATM's
PAKISTAN - State Bank of Pakistan has directed all the domestic banks either to establish at least two auto-cash telling machine (ATMs) or join the existing Switch Network to ensure payment of salaries to government employees through ATM system.
Minneapolis Fed Conferences and Events
CONFERENCES - The 17th Annual Electronic Payments Conference: "The e-Payments Revolution" will be held 17-18 September, 2002, at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott, Bloomington, Minn.
Hong Kong's credit card problems surge
HONG KONG - Credit card write-offs in Hong Kong surged to a record annualised rate of 13.63 per cent in the second quarter of this year, reflecting the slowdown in the local economy and a rise in personal bankruptcies.
Fed revises estimate on number and value of checks
US - Newly released numbers from the Federal Reserve System suggest that US check usage may have peaked in the 1990's and if so, that check writing in the U.S. may be steadily giving way to electronic forms of payment.
Iraq's central bank governor details new bank note
ARTICLE - Iraq's central bank Governor Dr Isam Rashid Huwaysh has explained the bank's decision to issue a 10,000-dinar banknote, in an interview with the Al-Rafidayn web site.
US bank gives away money at ATM
US - Road construction is such a pain at one of Nebraska's busiest intersections that a bank is giving away money for nothing as a special surprise to some customers.
Check-truncation talks today
US - Senate House Financial Services Committee staff are scheduled to meet today with bank and consumer groups to seek common ground on check-truncation legislation.
China's central bank defends ATM fees
CHINA - The central bank has defended a decision by commercial banks to charge customers for taking money out of automatic telling machines (ATMs) belonging to outlets that are not of the card issuers.
The IMF’s assessment of central bank internal controls
The IMF has found many central banks of borrowing countries to be lacking certain key elements needed for effective internal control. A report by Ahmad Sartip.
Central banks on the web: why are we there?
Central banks must go beyond the minimum of data provision if they are to build an image and address the growing demands of their diverse audience, argues Brent Eades of the Bank of Canada.
The Polish conflict
Stanislaw Gomulka surveys the institutional causes and economic consequences of the bitter dispute between the government and central bank in Poland. The inexperience of both suggests a European solution.
Behind the scenes in Basel
Neil Courtis ventures into the BIS in Basel and finds an institution in the process of redefining its role.
The Euro 50 Group Roundtable: Challenges of accession: Estonia
Märten Ross, a deputy governor at the Bank of Estonia, considers alternative scenarios for joining the euro. After ten years’ experience of a currency board, Estonia is more than prepared to join.
Why Britain should not join the euro
Janet Bush rejects the economic benefits of monetary union and argues that there is insurmountable opposition to the necessary complementary institution, a European government.
Sovereign bankruptcy: an opinion Jean-Jacques Rey
Jean-Jacques Rey welcomes Anne Krueger’s proposals for a sovereign debt restructuring mechanism. But is it a dead-end or promising avenue?