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Pakistan keeps policy rate unchanged at 12.5 pct
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Pakistan keeps policy rate unchanged at 12.5 pct
Reuters - Sunday, January 31
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By Sahar Ahmed
KARACHI, Jan 30 - Pakistan's central bank on Saturday kept its key policy rate unchanged at 12.5 percent for February and March, the bank's governor said, as it fights to sustain growth and keep inflation in check.
The State Bank of Pakistan cut its rate by 50 basis points to 12.5 percent on Nov. 24 after keeping it unchanged at 13 percent in September.
Bank governor Syed Salim Raza said average inflation for the 2009/10 fiscal year was expected at 11 to 12 percent, down from 20.77 percent last year.
Inflation was 10.52 percent year-on-year in December, after hitting its slowest pace in 22 months in October at 8.87 percent.
Raza said inflation still posed a threat.
"The inflation outlook for full FY10, nevertheless, remains somewhat vulnerable to the effects of fiscal consolidation efforts and to incipient international commodity price pressures," Raza told a news conference.
The bank had been expected to keep the policy rate steady. A Reuters poll this month found 10 of 11 analysts expected the central bank to keep the rate unchanged at 12.5 percent. [ID:nSGE60P03L]
Raza said progress had been made with respect to macroeconomic stability, given economic and security problems.
"However, work remains to be done to consolidate the stability and set the stage for sustainable recovery," he said.
Pakistan's economy has been hit hard as it battles Islamist militants in the northwest.
Analysts said the central bank had acted prudently given the danger of inflation and slower foreign fund inflows.
"The uncertainity of non-IMF inflows, and with inflation bouncing back and pressure on the rupee, the central bank has taken the right decision," said Mohammed Sohail, chief executive at Topline Securities.
An IMF loan package of $7.6 billion agreed in November 2008 helped avert a balance of payments crisis and shore up reserves.
The IMF increased the loan to $11.3 billion in July last year and the central bank received the fourth tranche in December.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said this week gross domestic product growth for the fiscal year is projected at 3.4 percent, compared with an earlier estimate of 3.3 percent. [ID:nSGE60Q0JG] (Reporting by Sahar Ahmed; Writing by Faisal Aziz; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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