Indonesia's central bank delivered a surprise rate hike on Wednesday, stepping up efforts to support the rupiah currency which has fallen to four-year lows on rising risk aversion and a delay in the expected timing of any U.S. policy easing.
Bank Indonesia (BI) raised the 7-day reverse repurchase rate, opens new tab by 25 basis points (bps) to 6.25%, its highest since the bank made the instrument its main policy rate in 2016.
BI also increased the overnight deposit facility, opens new tab and lending facility rates, opens new tab by the same amount to 5.50% and 7.00%, respectively.
"This hike in interest rates is to strengthen the stability of the rupiah exchange rate against the risk of a worsening global risks," BI Governor Perry Warjiyo told a briefing where the rate hike was announced.
The rupiah extended gains after the announcement and was up 0.45% against the dollar at 0736 GMT at 16,140.
Persons:
Perry Warjiyo
Organizations:
Bank Indonesia, Reuters, BI