Bank of Zambia caught between surging inflation and debt crisis
Central bank hikes policy rate as kwacha falls and fiscal spending overshoots targets
The Bank of Zambia hiked its policy rate today (February 17) as policy-makers sought to resist surging inflation without harming the country’s fragile economic recovery.
Governor Christopher Mvunga said the monetary policy committee had held a “difficult and complex discussion” before settling on a 50 basis point hike. “We can’t let inflation run away, neither can we stifle economic growth,” he told journalists. “We had to get into the middle of the road.”
Price rises are being driven by cost
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