Japan will look into tweaking its primary dealer system for government bonds, aiming to keep the scheme on solid footing. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has told the finance ministry it plans to give up its primary dealer status, citing difficulty meeting its bidding requirement. Source: Nikkei Asian Review
The European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi pledged to boost inflation if it continued to fall short of ECB’s intended targets, signaling a major policy reversal on Tuesday. Addressing an ECB forum in Portugal, Draghi said that “additional stimulus will be required” if inflation remained low. He also said that “further cuts in policy interest rates remain part of our tools.” Source: Deutsche Welle
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Tuesday Rome would press ahead with a plan to settle overdue state payments by issuing mini-bills unless a better solution was put forward.
The mini-bills would be “a tool to pay state debts towards families and suppliers. If there is a smarter way of doing this someone should say so, otherwise we’ll stick to it,” Salvini said on the sidelines of a conference in Rome. Source: Reuters
Construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been completed for 58.7% of its total length, the Russian gas holding said on Monday. “Construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline continues. 1,441 km of the gas pipeline were laid on the bottom of the Baltic Sea by now – 58.7% of its total length,” Gazprom says. Source Tass.
