Trinidad & Tobago holds rate, sees subdued recovery

    The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago held its benchmark repo rate steady at 2.75 percent, saying the current accommodative policy stance was appropriate as the recovery of the economy is likely to be subdued with inflationary pressures contained.
    The central bank, which cut rates by 25 basis points in 2012, said headline inflation rose to an annual rate of 6.9 percent in March from 5.9 percent in February but on a monthly basis the headline inflation rate for the two consecutive months slowed to 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent in February.
    Core inflation, which excludes food, inched up to 2.2 percent in March from February's 2.1 percent while growth in private sector credit remained relatively slow in February, with credit to the private sector up by 2.1 percent from 1.9 percent in the previous month.
    "While economic activity is expected to pick up gradually over the course of 2013, the recovery is likely to be subdued," the bank said, adding that "continued stability in core inflation suggests that underlying inflationary pressures remain well contained."
 
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