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Old Mortgage News

Threats of OCR hike possibly a ploy: Economist

Wednesday 24th of April 2013

Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler reaffirmed this morning that the OCR will stay on hold throughout 2013.

That appears to contrast with what Deputy Governor Grant Spencer said in a recent speech. He told members of the Employers and Manufacturers Association that if house price inflation continued, the bank would consider a monetary response.

But economist Mark Lister, of Craigs, said that was likely a tactical move. “The Reserve Bank does do that from time to time, they make comments they hope will scare people into thinking they can move it if they want to. They don’t want to increase interest rates. If they do, it will push the currency up even further and it’s the currency that’s causing them issues.”

Announcing that the OCR would stay at 2.5%, Wheeler acknowledged that growth in New Zealand had picked up and the country’s rate of spending was also growing.

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