Author: Philip Lane

The new QB provides an update on its analysis and forecasts – here.

There are two interesting signed articles:

• Measuring the Value Added of the Financial Sector in Ireland
• The Usage, Cost and Pricing of Retail Payments in Ireland

(the latter indicates a very big payoff to pushing further the move to electronic payments systems, with cheques still playing a large role in Ireland)

and also a new Economic Letter:

• The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Banks’ Net Interest Margins

this is a major IMF policy paper – here.

Address by Vitor Gaspar “Adjusting in the euro area: the Portuguese case”
Date: Thursday, 11th April
Time: 9am – 10am
Venue: The Thomas Davis Theatre, Room 2043, Ground Floor Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin

Portugal’s Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar will deliver an address on “Adjusting in the euro area: the Portuguese case” at 9am on Thursday April 11. The lecture will be followed by a Q+A session.

Prior to his current position, Mr Gaspar had a distinguished economics career at the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the Central Bank of Portugal.

here.

This is an interesting interview with Orphanides, covering the dynamics of the Cypriot situation over the period of the crisis – here.