Coronavirus
Fiji launches $7 varnished banknote
Reserve Bank issues commemorative note to celebrate rugby sevens squads
Are central banks ahead of banknote counterfeiters?
Antti Heinonen analyses data on recent trends in counterfeiting
Economics Benchmarks 2021 – presentation
Central Banking’s economics subject matter specialist Daniel Hinge speaks with Chris Jeffery about governance, modelling, forecasts and research
ECB announces phased end to Covid-19 collateral loosening
Conditions for access to liquidity schemes will tighten but Greek sovereign debt waiver will remain
More central banks have diversity and sustainability policies
But these policies remain less common than codes of ethics and whistleblower policies
ECB supervision and the state of the eurozone’s banks
ECB banking supervision has passed the first stage of the Covid-19 test. But many challenges remain, including banks’ internal governance and data processing, excessive leveraged lending in some segments, and a lack of progress towards a more competitive…
Sri Lankan currency falls sharply after central bank changes policy
Rupee falls below central bank’s expectation and government says it will seek IMF aid for crisis
Governor of the year: Mario Marcel
Chile’s governor has expertly navigated a third currency crisis in two years, amid wider EM stress and political volatility, while bolstering the central bank’s capabilities
Riksbank’s pandemic QE eased financing conditions, says research
Swedish central bank’s purchases boosted equities, depreciated krona and cut bond yields
Book notes: Shutdown, by Adam Tooze
A useful, wide-ranging overview, showing how health and economic policies are intimately intertwined with geopolitics
Peru’s central bank continues policy tightening
Most indicators are pessimistic, central bank says, as IMF staff warn of possible currency pressure
MAS’s Tharman urges investor action on global instability
War, stagflation risk, climate crisis, pandemic and uneven growth create “perfect long storm”
Hong Kong recovery expected to slow – IMF
Fund warns of risks including exposures to Chinese real estate and further supply disruption
Economists warn Latin America faces another lost decade
Continent is “halfway to a lost decade already”, says World Bank’s Carmen Reinhart
Bank of Canada governor says rate increase ‘was first step’
Macklem says he expects inflation to fall in second half and expectations remain anchored
Powell says he expects March rate hike
Fed chair says FOMC is discussing agreement on shrinking balance sheet
Botswana cancels cheques
Banks will cease processing cheques from 2024
How supervisors can step up the AML fight
Marcus Pleyer, president of the Financial Action Task Force, says digital tools, stronger co‑operation and risk-based methods can give supervisors an edge. But threats are still proliferating
RBNZ increases policy rate to 1%
Committee debated the possibility of increasing rates by 50bp
Paraguay continues slower tightening as inflation rebounds
MPC orders second 25bp hike, after 450bp in increases in late 2021
Diego Labat on policy normalisation, capital flows and tech challenges
The Central Bank of Uruguay governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery and Ben Margulies about governance, financialisation, flexible rates versus capital controls, payment upgrades and CBDCs
FOMC’s January minutes hint at policy actions and inflation fears
Committee signals determination to end asset purchases in March and raise the funds rate
Honduran Congress clears way for SDR loan
Declaration of “emergency” will allow government to access $335 million held at central bank
US Treasury opposes ending IMF surcharges
Biden administration rejects initiative championed by Democratic progressives