Economists Moving Up Expectations for Southeast Asia Rate Hikes

Economists have brought forward their expectations on when some central banks in Southeast Asia, including in Indonesia and Malaysia, will raise their benchmark rates as they battle inflation.

Some policy makers are shifting their focus toward battling inflation as it becomes a risk to their pandemic recoveries. Prices of key commodities, which had already been surging, rose sharply after the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, adding further upward pressure on prices.