Harambe: Zimbabwe should create super demand for its local currency, central bank governor says | The Insider (11/3/23)
Zimbabwe should create super demand for its local currency to ensure that the economy sustains itself, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya told parliamentarians yesterday.
In his presentation at the pre-budget seminar being held at the new parliament building in Mt Hampden, Mangudya said the super demand will be achieved by compelling all sectors of the economy to settle part of their tax obligations in local currency with no exemptions.
The requirement to pay taxes in Zimbabwe dollar increases its role as a store of value and as a medium of exchange, he said.
Mangudya welcomed the government’s decision to extend the use of multiple currencies to 2030 saying this provides policy consistency.
He told parliamentarians that the central bank was finalising and will publish a de-dollarization roadmap to provide forward guidance to economic agents and markets to enhance certainty and predictability in domestic transactions.
It will also align the foreign currency retention policy to the de-dollarization roadmap.
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Harambe: Indonesia central bank to stabilise exchange rate to cushion price pressures | CNA (11/3/23)
JAKARTA :Bank Indonesia (BI) will strengthen measures to stabilise the rupiah’s exchange rate to mitigate the effects of imported inflation, the country’s finance minister said on Friday.
Sri Mulyani Indrawati made the comment as the chair of Indonesia’s Financial System Stability Committee, which comprises the finance ministry, the central bank, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the deposit insurance corporation.
“Going forward, rupiah exchange rate stabilisation measures will be strengthened so that it is in line with its fundamentals and it supports efforts to control imported inflation,” she said at a press conference.
Last month, the central bank unexpectedly raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 6 per cent with an aim to defend the rupiah and mitigate against imported inflation.
The rupiah had been weakening against the U.S. dollar in September and October, falling to its weakest since 2020. However, the Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday to keep U.S. rates unchanged has reversed some of the losses.
The rupiah strengthened 0.5 per cent to 15,770 per dollar at 0427 GMT on Friday.
BI Governor Perry Warjiyo told the same press conference that the central bank will use its monetary tools to stabilise the financial markets, with its macroprudential tools to be directed at promoting economic growth.
BI expects inflation to come in around 3 per cent at year-end, or within their target range of 2-4 per cent for 2023, and 2.8 per cent for 2024, the governor said.
Meanwhile, OJK said it has asked financial institutions to regularly monitor their investment portfolios in this volatile environment.
The committee also said their recent stress test showed that the country’s financial sector was “pretty resilient” to face slowdown in the global economy, higher global interest rates and rising geopolitical tensions.
Governor Warjiyo said the test was carried out under several scenarios, including an “extreme” one, though he did not give more details on the parameters used in the test.
“In general, Indonesian financial sector has strong resiliency, with a solid capital cushion and more than enough liquidity,” he said.
The test was conducted after the finance leaders met with President Joko Widodo last month to address the falling rupiah.
Militia Man Things are happening on the banking side… Article Quote: “Visa Direct tool…simple transfers for the citizens. The tool facilitates the demand for foreign currencies.” Not just the dinar, Not just the dollar…They’re talking about 160 currencies. That’s what they said. It’s not my words…That’s a lot. That’s phenomenal. That means what? Iraq is going international with up to 160 currencies…
Guru Mnt Goat …in the news is yet more de-dollarization efforts as they convert the remaining of the border crossing stations all to “all dinars” only for custom fees. The Parliamentary Finance Committee renewed on Tuesday, its support for the Central Bank’s measures to control the exchange rate and address any obstacles...we learned that the new government of Al-Sudani made promises in his administrations curriculum to bring back the dinar stronger than the dollar. Is this why he has openly in public stated the dinar is already stronger than the dollar? Well then…where is it? As investors we wait for it.
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This is when everything breaks for the Fed – Rich Checkan
Kitco News: 11-3-2023
Michelle Makori, Lead Anchor and Editor-in-Chief at Kitco News, interviews Rich Checkan, President and COO of Asset Strategies International, who says that the Federal Reserve is at the end of its rope.
Checkan discusses gold and gives his updated price forecast. He also weighs in on the geopolitical situation and outlines a scenario that could dramatically push gold higher.
00:00 – Intro
00:58 – Fed highlights
08:40 – The Fed has broken the banks’ balance sheets, what’s next?
13:40 – Gold
18:00 – China’s motives behind its massive gold buying
23:05 – Geopolitics, gold, oil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR9QRLhXVdk
