ECB chief maintains stimulus policies, tells critics to be patient

Frankfurt

THE European Central Bank (ECB) kept its super-easy monetary policy unchanged as expected on Thursday and its president, Mario Draghi, told critics of his stimulus path to be patient and wait for the eurozone's recovery to take firm hold.

With growth slowly picking up pace, the ECB kept its various rates at next to nothing or negative and asset buys at a record pace. It reaffirmed that rates would stay at their current or lower levels for an extended period and that it was also ready to increase or extend its bond purchases if the outlook worsens.