The central bank’s Board also decided to leave the (Lombard) lending facility rate at 7.5% per year and the deposit facility rate unchanged at 5.5%, respectively, in its fifth monetary policy meeting of 2026, the central bank said in its statement regarding monetary policy decisions.
The key rate has been unchanged at 6.5% since August 2024.
The bank also decided to maintain the existing levels of minimum reserve requirement ratios on both leu- and foreign currency-denominated liabilities of credit institutions.
The central bank says that according to current assessments, the annual inflation rate is seen shrinking slightly in June, before posting a substantial decline in the third quarter of 2026, as previously anticipated, amid the fade-out of the direct effects from the removal of the electricity price cap and the increases in VAT rates and excise duties.
The 12-month inflation rate continued to climb in May to 10.85%, after having jumped to 10.7% in April.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)