BUCHAREST: Romania's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50 percent on Thursday, as expected by all analysts polled by Reuters, with consumer price inflation becoming less of a worry for policymakers.
Inflation stood at 3.3 percent in December, within the bank's 1.5-3.5 percent target, after touching multi-year highs throughout last year.
The bank will release a new inflation forecast later this month. It currently expects it to end the year at 2.9 percent.
Governor Mugur Isarescu will hold a briefing from 1300 GMT and markets will be keen to hear his comments regarding a tax on banks' financial assets tied to money market rates.
In January, Isarescu said the tax was reckless and that it would make monetary policy less flexible. The government approved the tax and a slew of other levies in December without impact assessment or public debate.
It remains unclear how the tax will be calculated.
The central bank's main task is to keep inflation down while preserving financial stability. But any potential rate hikes to rein in inflation or stem capital outflows to prevent a weakening of the leu would lead to a rise in market rates and consequently tax levels, which could affect banks and financial stability.
The bank and the finance ministry agreed earlier this month to analyse its impact and consider ways to make it less painful, with their next meeting set for Feb. 18.
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