MINSK, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Belarus central bank has decided to reduce its base rate from 18 to 17 percent per annum starting from January 18, the bank announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The regulator said such decisions are made in connection with the slowdown in inflation, moderate growth of money supply, positive level of interest rates in deposit and credit markets, as well as a gradual increase in external sustainability and the formation of net foreign currency supply in the domestic foreign exchange market.
The bank also expects a decline in annual inflation to single digits in the first quarter of 2017.
The consumer prices by the end of last year is predicted to be about 11 percent, below the economic expectations of 12 percent.
