Central Bank

Retail Asia01/02/2023

Gold kicked off the new year better than it has in a long time. The precious metal is benefitting from extraordinary trends. Demand for gold was stronger last year than it has been in more than a decade, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in its report on demand trends in the fourth quarter and the full […]

Retail Asia10/06/2021

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is exploring the feasibility of issuing a digital currency for the city, joining central banking efforts worldwide to create electronic money. A paper exploring the feasibility of issuing a retail-focused central bank digital currency (CBDC) will be delivered within 12 months, according to the HKMA at a recent media briefing. […]

Retail Asia25/01/2021

The latest draft rules proposed by the People’s Bank of China signals even more regulatory tightening against the mainland fintech sector including the potential to even break up non-bank institutions deemed to hinder payment development. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) proposed this week that it could advise the state council’s antitrust committee to take […]

Retail Asia13/01/2020

Thailand hopes to match the rapidly rising global standards in digital banking but Bank of Thailand’s governor notes that it will take more than just the efforts of the central bank. Veerathai Santiprabhob said the central bank will look to launch electronic lending and other financial services this year through a collaboration with various parties. […]

Retail Asia11/12/2019

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) announced Monday it has lowered the interest rates on compulsory reserves at banks by 0.4 percentage points. The new compulsory reserve interest rate has been reduced to 0.8 percent per annum for dong deposits, down from 1.2 percent prior. This change came into effect on Sunday. A compulsory reserve […]

Retail Asia08/02/2019

India’s central bank unexpectedly lowered interest rates and, as anticipated, shifted its stance to “neutral” from “calibrated tightening” to boost a slowing economy after a sharp fall in the inflation rate. The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%, as predicted by […]

Retail Asia02/01/2019

Indonesia’s December annual inflation rate eased, but the pace was quicker than expected, data from the Central Statistics Agency, or BPS, showed on Wednesday. The annual inflation rate in December was 3.13 percent, the agency said, lower than November’s 3.23 percent, but quicker than the median forecast of 2.98 percent. The December rate was well […]

Retail Asia12/07/2017

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has cut several interest rates for the first time since 2014 in order to support business and boost economic growth. According to the central bank’s statement, 0.25 percentage points have been shaved off the annual refinancing interest rate, rediscount interest rate, overnight interest rate applied to electronic inter-bank […]

Retail Asia29/05/2017

According to the National Finance Supervision Committee, the deficit is likely to be 3.5% of exports. The trade deficit with China rose from US$3.7 billion in 2013 to US$28 billion last year. The US Federal Reserve (FED) is expected to increase the interest rate in June and continue to do so through 2019 to take […]

Retail Asia18/02/2016

Indonesia’s central bank, which kept its benchmark reference rate unchanged for nearly all of 2015, is expected to make its second cut this year on Thursday as it tries to bolster the country’s sluggish growth. South-East Asia’s largest economy grew 4.8% in 2015, the fifth straight year of slowing and the weakest pace since 2009. […]

Retail Asia30/01/2016

Bank Indonesia (BI), Indonesias central bank, had estimated the economy to grow by 4.8 percent in 2015, slightly higher than the Finance Ministrys forecast of 4.74 percent. “The central bank had estimated a 4.8 percent growth throughout 2015,” BIs Deputy Governor, Perry Warjiyo, stated here on Friday. Despite last years economic growth being far from […]

Retail Asia27/01/2016

Supplies of shallots and chili, staple ingredients in Indonesian meals, are often low during the rainy season, propping up the prices index, said Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, the deputy of goods and services distribution at the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). Beef prices are also on the rise, increasing by 1 percent alone this month after the […]

Retail Asia21/12/2015

The Central Bank of Myanmar plans to initiate a second round of foreign bank licencing in early 2016, the monetary authority said. The aim is to licence banks from “additional neighbouring and important trading partner economies”, quoted the central bank as saying. “The main objective of the second round of licensing is to further promote existing […]

Retail Asia20/12/2015

“Instead of going into the property market, (capital flows) could go out and ease the property market, and that could strike consumers’ confidence and I think the economy next year may not perform so well”, said Paul Tang, chief economist at Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong. As Hong Kong’s currency is pegged to […]

Tag: Central Bank

Central Banks Buy the Most Gold in Over 50 Years

Hong Kong Explores Central Bank Digital Currency

China’s Central Bank Signals Break-Up Risk for Non-Bank Players

Thailand Cannot Push Digital Banking with Central Bank Alone

Central bank cuts compulsory reserve interest rates

India central bank makes surprise interest rate cut

Indonesia December Inflation Cools, Stays Within Bank Indonesia Target

Central Bank of Vietnam cuts rates by 0.25-0.5 per cent

Central Bank of Vietnam maintains flexible forex regime

Indonesia central bank seen cutting key rate again

Indonesia’s central bank forecasted 4.8% economic growth in 2015

Inflation May Accelerate to 4.38% in January

Myanmar central bank to grant new foreign bank licences

Hong Kong Central Bank Lifts Key Rates