As previously announced, the Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Iceland decided in November to introduce scheduled dates for its interest rate decisions as of 2006. This was described in more detail in Monetary Bulletin 2005/4, which was published on December 2.

The first scheduled interest rate decision in 2006 will be announced on Thursday, January 26. A new procedure for announcing the interest rate decision will be introduced, as follows: A brief announcement of the Board of Governors’ decision will be published on the Central Bank’s website at 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 26. A press meeting will be held at 11.15 a.m. the same day where the Chairman of the Board of Governors will present the rationale behind the Governors’ decision. The rationale will also be published in a Central Bank press release issued when the press meeting commences, and on the Bank’s website.

For further information contact Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson, tel. +354-569-9600.

No. 2/2006
January 23, 2006