Between January and July of this year in Costa Rica the Central Bank lowered the Monetary Policy Rate four times in a row, but its last decision was to maintain it at 4%.
Among the arguments of the monetary authority it is worth highlighting that the international interest rates are adjusted downward. In particular, the US Federal Reserve System reduced the reference interest rate range by 25 base points.
Arguing that there are deflationary pressures and that the unemployment rate remains high, the Central Bank reduced the Monetary Policy Rate from 4.5% to 4%.
This would be the fourth reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate made by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) so far this year, since at the beginning of 2019 was at 5.25% and is currently reduced to 4%.
Arguing that the rise in international commodity prices and the redefinition of the basic tax basket could put upward pressure on inflation, the Central Bank reduced the Monetary Policy Rate to 4.75%.
This is the second reduction made by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) so far this year, since at the end of March it decided to reduce the monetary policy rate from 5.25% to 5%.
Arguing that there are factors that could push inflation down, in Costa Rica the Central Bank decided to reduce the monetary policy rate from 5.25% to 5%.
The inflation forecast models of the Central Bank suggest that this would converge to the target range from the second quarter of 2019 and would remain around or below the midpoint of that range during the horizon of the 2019-2020 macroeconomic programming, informed the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).
Arguing that inflation expectations are within the target range, in Costa Rica the Central Bank decided to keep the monetary policy rate unchanged.
The last increase in the monetary policy rate was made in early November 2018, when the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) decided to raise it from 5% to 5.25%, arguing that forecasts suggest that inflation in 2019 could be above the upper limit of the target range.