CAIRO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) left its overnight interest rates on hold on Friday, as the current level is supportive of growth and the control of inflation in the medium term, local daily The Egyptian Gazette reported.

    The overnight lending rate was left at 9.75 percent and the deposit rate stayed at 8.25 percent, marking the first pause since the bank began cutting rates in February.

    Egypt's nationwide inflation rate rose to 10.2 percent in September.

    On Sept. 17, the CBE decided to cut its overnight deposit rate by 25 basis points to 8.25 percent per annum, the sixth cut in a row since the beginning of this year.

    The Egyptian economy attained a growth rate of 4.7 percent in the 2008-2009 fiscal year that ended in June, down from more than 7 percent in the previous year due to the shrink of tourism and Suez Canal and expatriates revenues.

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