Analysts Expect BNM To Remain OPR

thecekodok

 Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is expected to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 1.75% at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting to be held next month.


AmBank Research said the projection was made despite growing uncertainty due to the pandemic which has increased risks to growth due to supply chain disruptions and delays in the reopening of the economy.


"With a focus on tackling pandemics, speed of vaccination and testing along with quarantine, this means any rate hike by banks is unlikely to happen in 2021, but more so in 2022," he said in a research note today.



The research house said overall inflation was projected to hover around 3.0% to 3.5% for the full year and BNM's projection was 2.5% to 4.0%.


"This means that the average inflation for the next seven months is around 3.6 percent to 4.5 percent," he explained as reported by Bernama.


Meanwhile, CGS-CIMB also predicts that the central bank will maintain the OPR at 1.75% in the second half of this year.