Czech central bank's Benda: rate rises could be faster than forecast

PRAGUE: Inflation risks to the Czech central bank's latest forecasts are slightly higher and can allow faster interest rate rises than the bank's outlook sees, board member Vojtech Benda said in an interview on news website info.cz.

Benda was one of two board members who voted for a rate hike at the bank's last meeting in December. The bank paused with raising rates then after lifting borrowing costs twice since August, and analysts expect the next move in February.

"I was one of two who thinks inflation risks are slightly higher," Benda said in the interview. "This basically justifies, or would give us the possibility to raise interest rates at a slightly faster tempo than the trajectory we have in the forecast."