Inflation

MANILA, Philippines – Metrobank’s First Metro Investments Corp. (FMIC) as well as the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said the inflation scare is overblown and that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is likely to keep interest rates at record lows in the first half of the year.

MANILA, Philippines – A recent decision of the Court of Appeals said only the president, not the Department of Trade and Industry, can impose price ceiling on basic commodities.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said yesterday the scheduled Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) fare increases would be put off indefinitely after steadfast opposition by various sectors during a two-day public consultation.

INFLATION accelerated to 3.5 percent in January, the highest in four months, fueled by rising food and fuel prices, the National Statistics Office said Friday.

MANILA, Philippines – Bank borrowers continued to enjoy lower rates as the accommodative policy stance of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) provided support to the domestic economy.

MANILA, Philippines – London-based Barclays Capital sees inflation exceeding 4.5 percent in the middle of the year prompting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to adjust upwards its key policy rates by 25 basis points in the third quarter of the year.

Retail prices of sugar are on the upswing but authorities will not impose controls just yet, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

MANILA, Philippines –  Private economists and analysts see inflation steady at 4.1 percent this year and next year amid the recent rally in global commodity prices, a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) sees average inflation rising to as high as 4.2 percent this year if the upside risks to consumer prices materialize.

The monetary policy is still “appropriate” as inflation this year and next remains within the target range, Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco said.

SHANGHAI – Many Chinese cities are raising minimum wages for workers, fanning inflationary pressures while also seeking to soothe frustrations over price hikes.

MANILA, Philippines –  Dutch financial giant ING Bank NV said the inflation rate in the Philippines would kick up this year and next on the back of higher transport fares, road toll, oil prices as well as power rates.

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has released a schedule by which taxi operators can have their meters calibrated to reflect the approved fare increase.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warned that inflation expectations could turn upward but would still fall within the three percent to five percent target set by monetary authorities this year amid rising global food and oil prices.

The Philippines needs to maintain a low inflation regime to sustain its robust economic recovery, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. said Thursday.

THE Philippines may be the most susceptible to adverse affects of higher food prices worldwide among all Asian countries as the bulk of the country’s inflation accounts for food.

MANILA, Philippines – Swiss-owned investment bank UBS sees the country’s inflation picking up to 4.1 percent this year and 4.6 percent next year.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s inflation rate was steady at three percent in December, bringing the average inflation for 2010 to 3.8 percent or closer to the lower end of the 3.5-percent to 5.5-percent target set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced that starting Jan. 15, the flagdown rate of taxicabs would be P40 from the previous P30.

THE Philippine central bank on Wednesday kept its key policy rates on hold for the 13th time amid manageable price trends and favorable economic conditions, but raised its inflation forecast for this year and the next two years.

Change in policy stance needed to ward off inflation risks MANILA, Philippines – The country may have to start raising interest rates soon from the current record low of 4% to ward off inflation risks coming from strong liquidity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday.

METRO Manila bested most other key cities in emerging Asia in terms of cost of living for expatriates, according to the latest report by ECA International. In ECA International’s 2010 Cost of Living Survey, Metro Manila ranked 33rd, with its cost of living lower than in the capital cities of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South…

MANILA, Philippines—The increase in minimum wages in five regions outside Metro Manila and the strong inflow of foreign capital are expected to exert upward pressure in consumer prices in the coming months, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. said.

ECONOMISTS expect 2010 and 2011 inflation to fall within official target ranges, a poll conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Inflation and interest rates will drop over the next 12 months, according to consumers in latest confidence survey of the central bank. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas assistant Gov. Maria Cyd Tuano-Amador noted that the consumer confidence index in the third quarter improved to -14 percent from -28.7 percent a quarter earlier.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) raised upwards its inflation forecast for next year due to the continued stronger-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of the year, higher oil prices, petitions for electricity rate hike, the imposition of the 12-percent value added tax on toll as well as…

MANILA, Philippines – Private economists lowered their inflation forecasts for this year as fiscal concerns in Europe is expected to temper inflationary pressures but expect consumer prices to pick up in 2011 and 2012 on the back of upside risks, a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

MANILA, Philippines – What should be the first order of business for the Aquino administration? A new survey by Pulse Asia revealed Monday that many Filipinos want President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to prioritize job creation and lower inflation for the first 6 months of his presidency.

DESPITE its benign inflation outlook in the medium term, the Philippine central bank sees upside risks given the pending petitions for power and transport fare hikes and the possibility that global commodity prices could turn upward, an official said. “Should the inflation outlook turn out to be less favorable as growth continues to gain traction…

RETAIL PRICES in Metro Manila rose faster at 3.9 percent year-on-year in May, according to the National Statistics Office. According to the NSO, it was the fastest rate of rise since January.