Washington, April 30 (IANS) The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates unchanged as rising global energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict pushed inflation higher, while policymakers flagged growing uncertainty around the economic outlook. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday (local time) said the central bank remains focused on its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices, even as inflation has “moved up and is elevated.”“The US economy has been expandi…
Latest Monetary Policy News & Updates
New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) If the US-Iran conflict remains unresolved for a long duration, it can make the task of central banks arduous in their endeavour to rein in inflation expectations while minimising growth sacrifice, a new SBI Research report said on Wednesday.In uncertain times, a good central bank should be cautious about false precision, forceful against high-cost tail risks, systematic enough to preserve credibility, flexible enough to adapt, and transparent enough that uncertainty a…
Washington, April 16 (IANS) India’s economy is expected to remain resilient even as global growth slows amid war-driven disruptions, with strong fundamentals helping it outperform most economies, the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has said. “Look at India today. India’s growth is more than two times higher than the average global growth,” Georgieva said at a press briefing during the IMF Spring Meetings on Wednesday (local time).She attributed Indi…
Washington, April 14 (IANS) Governments should avoid large-scale energy subsidies and instead adopt targeted, temporary support measures as the global economy grapples with a fresh supply shock from the Middle East conflict, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cautioned on Tuesday. Speaking during a group interview with reporters from India, Japan, the UAE, the Netherlands and Chile, IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said fiscal responses must remain measured amid rising inflation …
Seoul, April 10 (IANS) South Korea’s central bank kept its benchmark rate unchanged on Friday, as uncertainty in the Middle East prompted a cautious stance amid risks of inflation, currency weakness and slower growth.In a widely anticipated decision, the Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) held the key rate steady at 2.5 percent in its latest rate-setting meeting in Seoul, reports Yonhap news agency.It marked the seventh consecutive on-hold decision, even as the central bank remains…
New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) India’s headline CPI could rise to between 4.5 and 4.8 per cent from a base case of about 4 per cent, and RBI’s April policy is likely to keep rate changes on hold in a cautious tone, a report said on Tuesday.The report from Yes Bank said GDP growth is expected to moderate to about 7 per cent with downside risks if the US-Iran war persists.”Growth has remained resilient so far, supported by domestic demand – both private consumption demand and government’s capital e…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran on Saturday said that given the considerable impact of the West Asia conflict on India’s economy, the country should leverage the fallout to redouble its recent reform efforts to enhance India’s competitiveness and preparedness. The ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ in bureaucracy, accompanied by enhanced speed of decision-making, is precisely what is called for if India is to emerge from this episode stronger, more resil…
New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) While the IMF loan has bailed out Pakistan from the brink of economic collapse for the time being, weak growth and fractious domestic politics suggest that the current period of stability may prove difficult to sustain over the medium term, according to an article. In September 2024, the IMF approved a $7bn Extended Fund Facility aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and rebuilding policy credibility. To date, Pakistan has received roughly $3.3bn under the programme…
Washington, Feb 19 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund has urged China to take stronger steps to revive domestic demand and reduce economic imbalances, warning that weak consumption and deflation could slow growth and affect the global economy. The IMF Executive Board, which concluded its 2025 Article IV consultation with China on February 13 (local time), said the economy “has remained remarkably resilient despite facing multiple shocks in recent years.”China’s economy grew 5 per cent …
New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to remain below the 4 per cent target level even in newly-introduced CPI series, and will better capture India’s evolving consumption curve and align data for policy decisions with international practices, a report said on Friday.The report from the Bank of Baroda said, “The trajectory of core inflation needs to be closely watched as prices of precious metals pose upside risk. But with fine balancing of weights in the new CPI …