Reserve Bank of India has hiked key lending rate by 0.25 per cent to 8 per cent. It kept the cash reserve ratio unchanged at 4 per cent.Releasing the third quarter review of monetary policy, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said, that Marginal Standing Facility rate stands at 9 per cent.GDP growth is expected to be less than 5 pc in current fiscal but it is likely to improve to 5.5 pc in 2014-15.Current Account Deficit is expected to be below 2.5 per cent this fiscal. Rajan said, March-end inflation can exceed 8 per cent.The review said, Rate hike will set economy securely on disinflationary path.Rajan said, Growth is likely to lose momentum in the third quarter of 2013-14. He said, slowdown in economy getting increasingly worrisome.The RBI governor said, inflation is a tax that is grossly inequitable, falling hardest on the very poor.He said, Fiscal and monetary authorities should continue to work for macroeconomic stabilisation.The RBI Governor said, henceforth, policy review to take place every two months. Next review will be on April 1.
News On AIR | January 28, 2014 12:09 PM
RBI hikes key lending rate by 0.25 per cent to 8 per cent