NEWS IN BRIEF; P/$ rate closes at P54.94 to $1.
The peso rate closed lower at P54.94 to the US dollar yesterday at the Philippine Dealing System of the Bankers Association of the Philippines from P54.785 the previous day. The weighted average rate depreciated to P54.872 from P54.778. Total volume amounted to $238.5 million. IFC cancels road...

NEWS IN BRIEF; P/$ rate closes at P55.35 to $1.
The peso rate closed higher at P55.35 to the US dollar yesterday at the Philippine Dealing System of the Bankers Association of the Philippines from P55.40 the previous day. The weighted average rate appreciated to P55.341 from P55.405. Total volume amounted to $279.17 million. 5-year T-bond fetches...

WB, IFC mull new $ 410-M loans.
Byline: FIL C. SIONIL The World Bank and its investment subidiary, International Finance Corporation (IFC), is ready to provide the Philippines new financial assistance package of at least $410 million in 2007 to equal the same amount they extended in the 2006 lending year which ended last...

NG debt tops P4-trillion mark in May.
Byline: LEE C. CHIPONGIAN National Government debt rose 3.3 percent last May to reach over the P4-trillion mark for the first time at P4.017 trillion, from P3.888 trillion the same period in 2005. Based on data by the Bureau of Treasury, the latest debt amount...

Pimentel assails gov't plan to borrow $300 M to pay Piatco.
Byline: MARIO B. CASAYURAN Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. (PDP-Laban) yesterday assailed a reported government plan to borrow $300 million from foreign and local banks to compensate the private consortium which built the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 3 or NAIA 3. Pimentel said...

P/$ rate closes at P49.88 to $ 1.
The peso rate closed higher at P49.88 to the US dollar yesterday at the Philippine Dealing System of the Bankers Association of the Philippines from P49.955 the previous day. The weighted average rate appreciated to P49.888 from P50.012. Total volume amounted to $ 389.26 million. BSP set...

Gov't can't prepay loans to cut debt.
Byline: LEE C. CHIPONGIAN The National Government is unable to prepay loans to reduce debt, which as of end-June has totalled P3.998 trillion or 66 percent of gross domestic product. Finance Secretary Margarito B. Teves said the NG debt -- as managed by the Department...

The future of Australian banking: introduction and overview.
The 11th Melbourne Money and Finance conference, organised by the Melbourne Centre for Financial Studies, brought together some sixty academics, practitioners and policy makers to discuss current issues affecting, and future prospects for, the Australian banking industry. A total of twelve papers was presented and formed the basis for...

The cost approach dilemma: the responsibilities behind the issue.
THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ELIMINATION OF THE COST APPROACH IN THE FANNIE MAE FORMS, WHY IT IS OR IS NOT IMPORTANT, AND TO WHOM. While most appraisers assume that the controversy is over an elimination of one of the approaches to value, it really centers on...

Should Fannie and Freddie be privatized?
Calling for the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a report from the Cato Institute, Washington, D.C., contends that housing is plentiful and that the Federal government need not be in the business of promoting homeownership. Further, given Fannie's status as a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE), taxpayers may be...