Philippine Finance Minister: cbank may opt to hike rates by 25 bps or keep unchanged

g monetary board, expressed optimism that inflation will ease to around 4 per cent towards end of the third quarter.

"The option now is not to hike or to hike by 25 bps," Diokno told a forum organised by foreign correspondents. Philippine annual inflation eased slightly to 8.6 per cent in February from 8.7 per cent in January, slowing for the first time in six months on lower transport and food prices, but remains well outside the 2 per cent-4 per cent target band for the year.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has raised rates eight times for a total of 400 basis points since last year to curb inflation, bringing the overnight reverse repurchase facility rate to 6.0 per cent, the highest since 2007. Diokno, meanwhile, said he would not be surprised if the central bank cut banks' reserve requirement ratio to a single-digit level from the current 12 per cent before year end.

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