The suspension of governor Lamido Sanusi from the helm of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is important, and not just for for analysts of future Nigerian monetary and exchange policies. Sanusi’s case…
Can - and should - the RBA intervene to lower the Australian dollar?
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Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens has again weighed in on the value of the Australian dollar, telling a group of economists the bank is open to the idea of intervening to bring its value down. With the…
Servicing the current level of public gross debt is not a problem for Australia.
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There continues to be a great debate around Australia’s fiscal position. Yet, budget deficits are, in fact, a natural outcome of the business cycle. In a policy brief, co-authored by myself and colleagues…
The Bank of England: still the key to growth?
Yui Mok/PA
Many critics of the coalition government’s “Plan A” argue that it should deviate from deficit reduction plans to instead stimulate growth via additional infrastructure spending. Recent advocates of this…
The US Federal Reserve has made explicit the economic targets it wants to reach through its monetary policy.
AAP
The announcement by the US Federal Reserve Bank that it would link its monetary policy to the achievement of specific economic targets beyond inflation is a new development in its approach to policy. In…
The US Federal Reserve has extended its bond-buying program, but will it be effective in boosting the economy?
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In an attempt to bolster the economy, the Federal Reserve announced a fresh round of bond purchases to replace Operation Twist, the stimulus program that is set to expire this month. It will spend $US45…
Warning signals about global slowing have been there for some time - yesterday’s cash rate cut should not have been a surprise.
Monetary policy must be forward looking. It has limited ability to affect the here and now of the economy, as this has largely already been determined - by employment decisions, investment decisions and…
The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to keep the cash rates unchanged tomorrow: but prominent economists say the case for a cut may be firming.
AAP
CAMA’s Shadow Board, which gives its views ahead of the decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia, continues to support the current setting of the cash rate at 3.5%. But economists are seeing a greater…
Some commentators have suggested that the RBA should intervene in currency markets to tame the Australian dollar. But is this a wise move?
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As foreign central banks continue to park their money in our triple-A rated bonds, the Australian dollar continues its inevitable ascent. The dollar traded as high as US106.03¢ after the RBA left the interest…
Will the banks follow the lead of the RBA and cut interest rates?
AAP
The pressure is on Australia’s major banks to pass on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 50 basis point cut in full to Australian households and businesses. In a surprise move, the RBA slashed Australia’s…
AWU chief Paul Howes’ call for the Reserve Bank to tackle more than inflation should serve as an ongoing debate about macroeconomic policy.
AAP
The head of the Australian Workers Union chief Paul Howes has called on the Federal government to urgently review the Charter of the Reserve Bank of Australia, suggesting its current policy setting is…
A slowdown in China’s economy is not yet cause for concern in Australia.
AAP
These days, most economic commentators in Australia sing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to discussing our economic prospects: while the ongoing gloom in the US and the outright deterioration in…
Markets responded positively to the central banks’ credit lifeline, but serious problems lie ahead.
AAP
For European banks threatened by a looming credit squeeze, the US Federal Reserve’s move to cut the cost of obtaining US dollars rescue hasn’t come a moment too soon. The Fed’s decision to engage in quantitative…
Unless the US can address structural problems, there no end in sight to this financial crisis.
AAP
Global share markets were faltering even before the decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the US government’s debt. The slump in share markets over the past week reflects a weaker outlook for…
Australia has long since abandoned the goal of full employment.
AAP
While “deficit fetishism” is unsurprising when championed by Liberal politicians or their counterparts in the centre-unity faction of the Labor Party, it is increasingly advocated by those positioned at…
Mexico’s Agustin Carstens is expected to lose out to France’s Christine Lagarde.
AAP
The International Monetary Fund executive board will complete interviews of the two leading candidates to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn this week, with the aim of picking a new managing director by June…
Christine Lagarde is the favourite to become the IMF’s new chief.
AAP
Speculation last week that Paul Keating and Peter Costello could nominate for the top job at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was a mere distraction, but the hoopla did manage to highlight a crucial…
There is economic reasoning behind Glenn Stevens’s low public profile.
AAP
Late last month, Ben Bernanke held the first ever press conference by a chairman of the US Federal Reserve Bank. For more than an hour, he took questions about the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision…
Distinguished Professor and Derek Schrier and Cecily Cameron Chair in Development Economics, School of Economics and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand