Think your central bank might be messing around with your currency?

Global Finance magazine handed out grades to 36 of the world’s most influential central bankers, based on criteria like their ability to control inflation, stimulate growth, maintain a stable currency, and manage interest rates.

The bankers were given marks from “A” to “F.”

Only 6 received an A grade: Australia’s Glenn Stevens, Israel’s Stanley Fisher, Lebanon’s Riad Salameh, Malaysia’s Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the Phillipines’ Amando Tetangco Jr., and Taiwan’s Fai-Nan Perng.

Guest Who Is The Worst :

Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Bahrain

2011 Grade: B-

Bahrain faces a shrinking economy and political unrest. The economy contracted 1.4% in the first quarter, according to Reuters. Emirates 24-7 reports that the country briefly suffered from deflation during the recession of 2008, and the Gulf Cooperation Council could someday threaten the central bank’s ability to make its own policy.

Jean-Claude Trichet, European Union

2011 Grade: B-

2010 Grade: A

The EU’s economic problems increase daily. Ominous signs that the sovereign debt crisis could result in global catastrophe threaten the success of the euro as a currency, and lack of growth throughout much of the eurozone doesn’t help. Trichet and his colleagues suffer partly from flaws in the EU system, but might also be doing too little too late.

Philipp Hildebrand, Switzerland

2011 Grade: B-

2010 Grade: B-

The Swiss National Bank has failed to keep its currency under control, as currency traders have turned to the franc as a safe haven. The franc’s appreciation has damaged the Swiss economy, which depends strongly on exports. Rumors of a peg to the euro have dissuaded investors from purchasing francs recently.

Duvvuri Subbara, India

2011 Grade: B-

2010 Grade: C

High inflation (over 9%) persists regardless of the fact that the central bank keeps raising interest rates, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Growth has slowed due to this fiscal tightening, yet Subbara and his colleagues remain fixated on trying to get inflation under control.

Ben Bernanke, United States

2011 Grade: C

2010 Grade: C

Critics have come out on all sides of Bernanke’s highly accomodative monetary policy. Quantitative easing had advocates and detractors alike. Bernanke’s decision to keep interest rates artificially low has resulted in the most divided Federal Open Market Committee in years. His detractors warn that such policies could produce runaway inflation.

András Simor, Hungary

2011 Grade: C

2010 Grade: C

High interest rates due to excessive public borrowing have stifled Hungary’s economic growth, according to Reuters. Critics of central bank policy argue that such rates are unwarranted as inflation remains reasonably under control.

Masaaki Shirakaw, Japan

2011 Grade: C

2010 Grade: C

Reuters reports that the Bank of Japan has recently stepped in to tame the appreciating yen, but it remains to be seen whether they will be successful as the eurozone crisis deepens. However, fiscal tightening threatens to derail Japan’s still fragile recovery after March’s earthquake.

Kim Choongsoo, South Korea

2011 Grade: C

Inflationary pressures could send prices out of control in South Korea, with a target inflation of 4% for the year. Price growth is likely to match or exceed GDP growth, despite one of the strongest years ever for the country in terms of exports. Though the central bank says it is taking measures to curb inflation, their efforts are not producing result.

Abdullah bin Saud Al-Thani, Qatar

2011 Grade: C-

Runaway non-rent inflation earlier this year led the Qatari government to peg the riyal to the dollar. Given the situation, the IMF argued that the peg was “appropriate,” and urged Qatar’s central bank to develop its technical and operational capabilities so that it could someday have its own currency.

Mercedes Marcó del Pont, Argentina

2011 Grade: D

2010 Grade: D

According to the Associated Press, Moody’s gave Argentina’s private banks a negative outlook earlier this month. The agency cited central bank policies that produced high inflation and negative interest rates as dangerous for the banks. WSJ reports that inflation stands above 20%.

Source : From businessinsider.com ..