Swati Bhide and Pavan Haldia explain how banks can minimise the technological costs associated with Single Euro Payments Area compliance.

The European Central Bank says Sepa will give banks a competitive edge but banks themselves beg to differ. They believe it may increase costs while cutting their revenues. Heather McKenzie reports.

Consolidation, interoperability and transformation of the EU’s disparate clearing infrastructure. Amarendra Gokhale explains what is really at stake in realising Sepa.

These days financial centres are springing up all over the place and central America and the Caribbean already has its fair share. Yet still there are new contenders, the latest being Trinidad and Tobago, whose ambitions are not modest.

Sometimes, however, it is not the US authorities that give central American banks a hard time, it is their own authorities. El Salvadorean banks are miffed because the investment reserves they deposit at the central bank are outsourced to international investment banks to manage.

The opening of a representative office overseas – not even a branch – does not usually attract the attentions of a country’s president. But when Banco Ficohsa, one of the top banks in Honduras, opened a representative office in the US last month, the president of the country, Manuel Zelaya, along with the central bank governor and the president of the national congress, were all present.

Edward Russell-Walling talks to Finland’s finance director Satu Huber about the rationale behind the country’s successful 5/11 strategy for issuing sovereign paper.

Given the current dynamic growth in central and eastern Europe, private equity firms with good local relationships and the patience to wait for the right deal can net decent profits, says Joanne Hart.

Dr YV Reddy has inspired widespread praise for his dextrous handling of India’s central bank. He speaks to Karina Robinson.

On June 13, The Banker launched the Chinese version of its Top 100 Chinese Banks listing in a glittering ceremony at Beijing’s prestigious Chinese Political Consultative Conference Hall.