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OCR increase was likely but the 2023 Budget broke the camel's back

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 19 May 2023, 5:34pm
Photo / 123RF
Photo / 123RF

OCR increase was likely but the 2023 Budget broke the camel's back

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 19 May 2023, 5:34pm

The Budget's being described as the straw that will break the camel's back on pushing up the Official Cash Rate.

Bank economists are predicting bigger interest rate hikes after the release of Finance Minister Grant Robertson's annual spending programme yesterday.

BNZ Head of Research Stephen Toplis says that there were already several reasons for the Central Bank to keep lifting the OCR.

He says they were on the verge of forecasting another rate increase, but there was more stimulus in the Budget than expected, which tipped them over the edge.

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