OCR decision revealed

The Reserve Bank has kept the Official Cash Rate on hold at 1%. Here's what the central bank said:

Wednesday, September 25th 2019, 2:05PM

The Official Cash Rate (OCR) remains at 1.0 percent. The Monetary Policy Committee agreed that new information since the August Monetary Policy Statement did not warrant a significant change to the monetary policy outlook.

Employment is around its maximum sustainable level, and inflation remains within our target range but below the 2 percent mid-point.

Global trade and other political tensions remain elevated and continue to subdue the global growth outlook, dampening demand for New Zealand’s goods and services. Business confidence remains low in New Zealand, partly reflecting policy uncertainty and low profitability in some sectors, and is impacting investment decisions.

Global long-term interest rates remain near historically low levels, consistent with low expected inflation and growth rates into the future. Consequently, New Zealand interest rates can be expected to be low for longer.

The reduction in the OCR this year has reduced retail lending rates for households and businesses, and eased the New Zealand dollar exchange rate.

Low interest rates and increased government spending are expected to support a pick-up in domestic demand over the coming year. Household spending and construction activity are supported by low interest rates, while the incentive for businesses to invest will grow in response to demand pressures.

Keeping the OCR at low levels is needed to ensure inflation increases to the mid-point of the target range, and employment remains around its maximum sustainable level. There remains scope for more fiscal and monetary stimulus, if necessary, to support the economy and maintain our inflation and employment objectives.

Tags: OCR RBNZ Reserve Bank