Experts suggest increase of deposit rates (Chinanews.cn) Updated: 2006-07-14 13:55
Even the denial by vice governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) Wu
Xiaoling could not blow away the market's speculation that the central bank
would issue new policies to push forward the foreign exchange reform, said a
report in International Finance News.
Instead, it is more and more expected that the government will publish new
macro-control policies in the market, fuelled by latest statistics. According to
a report released by Morgan Stanley on July 11, China was expected to raise the
deposit and lending interest rates by 27 points and would further raise these
rates at the end of this year.
Analysts said that the further adoption of the control policies depends on
the effect of the policies implemented during the first phase. After the foreign
trade surplus hit the new record high of $14.5 billion, the data of bank credit
further proved that the overheating economy had not been cooled down by the
previous control policies.
Increasing both the deposit and lending interest rates might very possibly be
included in the new control policies. Persons related with the industry said
that the latest increase of the lending interest rates was criticized for
widening the rate gap and stimulating banks to increase the loans. It is
impossible for the central bank only to raise the lending interest rates, they
said, for this will further widen the interest rate gap as far as the current
control effect is concerned.
Some experts said the reason why China was reluctant to raise the saving
interest rate was the strong speculation of RMB appreciation. But now the Fed
has raised interest rates by 25 points again and the market is expecting another
hike in August. So the pressure of RMB appreciation will not be increased if the
deposit rates of RMB are raised by an appropriate margin. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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