RBI keeps key rates unchanged in its monetary policy review

16 Dec 2011 Evaluate

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for the first time since March 2010, kept the key policy rates unchanged. In the mid-quarter monetary policy review, the RBI kept its repo rate, the rate at which RBI lends funds to banks constant at 8.5% and reverse repo rate, at which the RBI borrows money from banks at 7.5%. The RBI also left the cash reserve ratio (CRR), which is the amount of cash the banks have to maintain with the central bank, unchanged at 6%, despite market speculation that it might cut the ratio in order to bolster market liquidity. Bank rate was also maintained at 6%.

The RBI in its mid-quarter monetary policy review, said, ‘on the domestic front, growth is clearly decelerating. This reflects the combined impact of several factors; the uncertain global environment, the cumulative impact of past monetary policy tightening and domestic policy uncertainties.’

‘Both inflation and inflation expectations are currently above the comfort level of the Reserve Bank. However, reassuringly, inflationary pressures are expected to abate in the coming months despite high crude oil prices and rupee depreciation. The growth deceleration is contributing to a decline in inflation momentum, which is also being helped by softening food inflation’ the RBI added.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on December 15, said that the government's focus needs to shift back to growth concerns in view of weakening growth and market sentiments. 'The present indicators show that both private consumption and investment sentiments have weakened and it is this weakening of sentiments that makes it necessary to shift some of our focus back to near term issues.’

On the domestic front, agricultural prospects look promising on the back of expected record kharif output and satisfactory progress on rabi sowing. However, industrial activity is moderating, driven by deceleration in investment, which is a matter of serious concern, the RBI said.

However, by adding further it said that overall, the growth momentum in the economy is clearly moderating. Further, considering the global and domestic macroeconomic situation, the downside risks to the Reserve Bank’s growth projection, as set out in the Second Quarter Review (SQR), have increased significantly.

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