By Kadiri Abdulrahman
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), on Tuesday announced another increase in the country’s Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), known as the baseline interest rate, to 26.75 per cent from 26.25 per cent.
The MPC also adjusted the Asymmetric Corridor to +500/-100 basis points from +100/-300 basis points around the MPR.
Mr Yemi Cardoso, the Governor of CBN made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, while presenting the communiqué from the 296th meeting of the MPC.
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.40 per cent points higher than that of June 2023 (22.79 per cent).
Also, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in June 2024 was 2.31 per cent, which was 0.17 per cent higher than the rate recorded in May 2024 (2.14 per cent) meaning that the rate of increase in the average price level was higher in June than in May.
Repeatedly, the CBN governor has maintained that the MPC members were committed to price stability and were willing to keep tightening until inflation is tamed.
Multiple reports from investment houses had projected that the MPR would be hiked,
Cowry Asset Management, in its weekly report, projected a 25bps to 50bps hike in interest rates, while the Meristem report anticipates “a 100 basis point increase in the monetary policy rate to 27.25 per cent while likely keeping other parameters unchanged. Overall, we anticipate that the committee will prioritize inflation control and capital inflow sustainability, crucial for maintaining a stable exchange rate system, and accordingly, implement a rate hike to achieve these objectives.”
*Additional report culled from PUNCH
