Uruguay’s central bank surprised the market by keeping on hold the benchmark interest rate at 9.25% after increases at the two previous monetary policy meetings failed to slow inflation, one of the country’s main concerns.
The Uruguayan economy expanded between 3% and 3.5% last year which is below the 5.7% of 2011, mostly because of a serious drought and a deteriorating world situation, advanced the country’s Central bank president Mario Bergara.
Uruguay’s Central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Friday for the second time this year as policy makers struggle to bring inflation into the government’s target range. The IMF and local economists have warned about the need to “tackle inflation”, particularly since the budget’s fiscal deficit has soared in just twelve months from 0.4% of GDP to over 3% of GDP.
Inflation is a priority and is “decisively much higher than what authorities and public opinion would like” admitted Mario Bergara, Uruguay’s Central bank president during the opening on Monday of a two-day annual economic conference.
Uruguay's central bank unveiled measures on Wednesday aimed at cooling the local Peso's appreciation by discouraging foreign investment in the bank's short-term debt. To combat the Peso's rise, officials ordered that 40% of new foreign capital invested in central bank bills be frozen in an account at the central bank.
Uruguay must adopt an attitude of “serene alert” given the “uncertainty and uncommon volatility” prevailing in the world said central bank president Mario Bergara, underlining the country has reduced “vulnerabilities” considerably.
Uruguay's central bank said on Monday it will raise marginal reserve requirements on local and foreign currency deposits from Aug. 1 as part of its efforts to bring inflation within the official target range.
Uruguay's economy is poised to expand 4% to 4.5% this year, a moderate slowdown from the growth of just over 6% seen in 2011, the president of the central bank Mario Bergara told reporters during an IMF conference held in Punta del Este.
Uruguay’s central bank unexpectedly increased on Friday its benchmark interest rate by 75 points from 8% to 8.75%o as policy makers admit inflation, and mid term expectations remain notoriously over the target range and price stability is the main concern in “the current socio-economic context”.
The Uruguayan central bank “Monetary Policy Committee” will attempt to balance ‘concern’ over inflation with the increasing international uncertainty when it meets next 29 December, said the bank’s president Mario Bergara.