BoT holds rates, says fiscal spending to help economy

BoT holds rates, says fiscal spending to help economy

An employee collects various fruits after a rite ceremony to bring good fortune, wealth and blessing next to a giant dragon sculpture decorated to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at a Bangkok luxury shopping mall Feb 2. The Bank of Thailand kept its key interest rate unchanged for the sixth straight meeting on Wednesday. (EPA photo)
An employee collects various fruits after a rite ceremony to bring good fortune, wealth and blessing next to a giant dragon sculpture decorated to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at a Bangkok luxury shopping mall Feb 2. The Bank of Thailand kept its key interest rate unchanged for the sixth straight meeting on Wednesday. (EPA photo)

The Bank of Thailand kept its key interest rate unchanged for the sixth straight meeting, as widely expected, allowing government spending to help revive flagging economic growth.

The central bank said the current policy rate supports the recovery, and added that monetary policy remained accommodative and the policy space should be preserved.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously voted to leave the one-day repurchase rate at 1.5% on Wednesday, near a record low of 1.25% reached during the global financial crisis.

"The committee judged that monetary policy remained accommodative, and the policy space should be preserved, while being mindful of risks to financial stability," the MPC said.

It said the economy was projected to expand in 2016 at a rate close to the assessment at the previous meeting, supported mainly by domestic demand.

All 21 economists polled by Reuters had predicted the rate would be held steady as more than a year of falling consumer prices gives policymakers leeway to keep rates low.

The central bank has left the rate unchanged since unexpectedly cutting it in March and April as exports slumped and consumer spending turned tepid.

Faced with stubbornly weak exports at a time of high household debt and low farm prices, the government has stepped up spending and investment plans as well as introduced various stimulus measures to lift growth.

The government is hopeful fiscal spending will aid Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which has yet to regain traction after the army seized power to end months of political unrest in May 2014.

Public spending continued to be well disbursed, especially capital expenditure excluding subsidies and grants, which jumped 44.1% in December from a year earlier, the BoT said.

The BoT forecast gross domestic product growth of 3.5% this year and 2.8% for 2015. Official 2015 GDP data is due on Feb. 15.

The baht has risen about 0.5% against the dollar this year.

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