Monetary policy
Bank of Finland Bulletin No. 2, 2001
RESEARCH - The Bank of Finland has published its second bulletin of 2001. It includes articles on the Bank of Finland's macroeconomic forecast 2001-2003 and looks at the Eurosystem's monetary policy instruments.
Advisers join Thai monetary policy board
THAILAND - Aran Thammano and Chaiyawat Vibulsawat have been appointed as advisers to the Bank of Thailand's monetary policy board. They have been authorised to give suggestions and opinions to the board, which convenes on a monthly basis.
Bank of England leaves interest rates unchanged
UK - The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has left UK interest rates unchanged for the second month in a row. The committee concluded their two day meeting on 5 July. The Bank's base rate remains at 5.25%.
Bank of England minutes show rates firmly on hold
UK - The Bank of England has published the minutes to it's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on 5 and 6 June. The minutes show that the MPC were strongly in favour of keeping interest rates on hold.
Chilean economy minister leaves post for bank seat
CHILE - Chile's Economy Minister Jose de Gregorio announced late on 18 June that he will step down from his post in order to seek congressional approval to join the Central Bank's five-member monetary policymaking board.
Monetary policy and financial markets
SPEECH - Professor Otmar Issing, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, has given a speech 'Monetary policy and financial markets' at the ECB Watchers Conference, Frankfurt, June 2001.
BOJ board keeps monetary policy unchanged
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept its already super-loose policy unchanged on 15 June, resisting political pressure for even more monetary firepower to stop the economy from deteriorating further.
No plan to change Japanese growth outlook
JAPAN - Japanese Minister of Finance Masajuro Shiokawa said on 13 June that at present, he is not considering revising the government's projection of 1.7 percent economic growth for fiscal year 2001, ending in March 2002.
Polish MPC should explain not preach
POLAND - Poland's Monetary Policy Council (MPC) needs to explain better to the public the rationale behind its high interest rates or face a "war" with an increasingly hostile government, a top independent economist said on 12 June.
Run a central bank with new Swiss computer game
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss National Bank has recently posted a new computer game onto its web site. For anyone aspiring to hold the reins of a nation's economy this provides a new and novel way to hone the skills for central banking and take charge of a…
New Thai bank governor plans radical changes
THAILAND - Pridiyathorn Devakula, the new governor of the Bank of Thailand, who formally took charge of the bank on 5 June, plans radical changes to monetary policy in Thailand.
Bank of England maintains interest rates at 5.25%
UK - The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has left UK interest rates unchanged. The committee met on 6 June and the decision to leave rates unchanged was widely expected by economists.
Communicating Canadian monetary policy
SPEECH - Paul Jenkins, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada has made a speech titled 'Communicating Canadian monetary policy: towards greater transparency'. He was speaking at the Ottawa Economics Association, Ottawa, on 22 May.
Bank of Japan research paper - zero interest rates
RESEARCH - The Bank of Japan has published a research paper 'Monetary Policy Under the Zero Interest Rate Constraint and Balance Sheet Adjustment'. The paper is written by Masaaki Shirakawa, advisor to the governor, Bank of Japan.
New Thai bank head to make monetary policy changes
THAILAND - Incoming Thai central bank Governor Pridiyathorn Devakula said on 4 June that there are going to be changes in monetary policy.
Bank Indonesia tight monetary policy remains
INDONESIA - Indonesia's central bank said on 1 June that the country's political instability would prevent it from loosening monetary policy in the short term, even though the ailing rupiah has shown some strength.
Second Thailand monetary policy board member quits
THAILAND - Chalongphob Sussangkarn, a member of the Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Board, said on 31 May he had submitted his resignation. He cited uncertainty over monetary policy following the ousting of governor Chatu Mongol Sonakul earlier this…
Polish MPC blamed for keeping interest rates high
POLAND - The Polish central bank came under heavy fire from officials and analysts on 31 May for holding interest rates steady despite saying there was little demand-side price pressure in the economy.
Euro is a safeguard for UK
ARTICLE - Soon to depart Bank of England MPC member DeAnne Julius sees the euro as a safeguard for UK industry. Speaking recently she considers her own future, Britain's European prospects and the set-up at the ECB.
Strong backing for Bank of England rate cut
UK - The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England voted eight-to-one to trim interest rates 0.25%, when they met earlier this month, minutes from the meeting have shown.
Monetary policy formulation in the euro area
SPEECH - Christian Noyer, Vice-President of the European Central Bank, spoke at the "Monetary Policy and the Markets" conference of the National Association for Business Economics, Washington, DC on 23 May.
Banks and Systemic Risk - Theory and Evidence
SPEECH - David Clementi, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee spoke on 23 May at a conference of the Bank of England in London.
Low inflation may erode bank's credibility
SPEECH - The Bank of England's credibility could be at risk if it continues to undershoot its 2.5 per cent inflation target for more than another two years, according to a member of the bank's Monetary Policy Committee.
Fabius backs ECB independence on monetary policy
FRANCE - The European Central Bank must and does set monetary policy independently, French Finance Minister Laurent Fabius said on 20 May, adding that he believed the bank was not indifferent to the downturn in global economic growth.