BNR already cut the key rate by 0.5 percentage points three times this year, from 8 to 6.5 percent, and once by 0.25 percentage points, to the current level of 6.25 percent a year.

This decision was anticipated by all the analysts of the Association of Financial Banking Analysts in Romania (AAFBR) that participated at the survey published by the association on Tuesday, but also by other analysts polled by NewsIn.

The central bank also maintained the level of minimum mandatory reserves at 15 percent for the lei passives and at 25 percent for those in foreign currency, although the analysts expected a cut of the minimum mandatory reserves in foreign currency by 5 percentage points.

BNR settled an inflation target of 3.5 percent for the end of 2010, take or leave one percentage point (2.5-4.5 percent), the inflation prognosis being of 3.7 percent. In 2009, BNR missed the inflation target for the third time in a row.