RBI hints at rate cut;

Ankur Garg (Company Secretary and Compliance Officer) (114773 Points)

27 June 2009

Saturday 27 June, 2009.

"There is plenty of liquidity in the system and we want to assure that it will be manitained," RBI deputy governor Usha Thorat said, when asked by reporters if the central bank would change its monetary policy in view of the falling rates.

The RBI has been cutting the key rates at which it lends (repo) and borrows (reverse repo) funds from banks in the short-term, with the latest reduction being in March.

A cut in rates would prompt banks to reduce interest rates on loans, stirring demand for loans that would in turn lead to increased consumer and corporate spending.

The central bank will take up its monetary policy for a quarterly review on 28th July.

Replying to a query whether India's growth prospects would be affected due to the failing monsoon, Thorat said it was too premature to comment. "RBI will make a detailed assessment in July quarterly review of the economy," she said.