BSP to consider rate hike in June —governor

April 27, 2022 - 9:50 AM
1471
Benjamin Diokno Edd Gumban
The appointment of Benjamin Diokno broke the traditional way of choosing BSP governors. (The STAR/Edd Gumban)
  • Philippines has room to hold rates in May policy meeting
  • C. bank has kept rates at record low since Nov 2020

 The Philippines’ central bank is looking at raising benchmark interest rates two to three times to bring down inflation by next year, with the first hike to be considered in June, its governor said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday.

“We have another meeting in June and maybe that is the time we will consider the increase in policy rate,” said Central Bank Governor Benjamin Diokno.

It would take two to three rate hikes, plus a normalization of oil prices, to bring inflation down to an annual average of 3.6% in 2023, Diokno said.

Average inflation could breach the upper end of the 2%-4% target range in 2022 by reaching 4.3%, central bank data show.

The central bank’s next rate-setting meeting is on May 19. It has kept key rates PHCBIR=ECI at a record low of 2% since November 2020 to help the economy weather the coronavirus pandemic.

—Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor