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New Zealand’s central bank done easing policy but risks are on both sides, top official says

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Published Thu, Feb 19, 2026 · 10:54 AM — Updated Thu, Feb 19, 2026 · 10:54 AM
    • (Right) RBNZ governor Anna Breman, and chief economist Paul Conway and assistant governor Karen Silk at a news conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Feb 18, 2026.
    • (Right) RBNZ governor Anna Breman, and chief economist Paul Conway and assistant governor Karen Silk at a news conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Feb 18, 2026. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

    [SYDNEY] New Zealand’s central bank is done cutting interest rates but there are risks on either side as policymakers gauge the strength of the consumer recovery and the path of inflation, said a top official on Thursday.

    Karen Silk, Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, made the comments in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

    The RBNZ kept its main official cash rate at 2.25 per cent on Wednesday and said monetary policy would stay accommodative for some time as the economy recovers. REUTERS

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