Tunisia's central bank keeps key interest rate unchanged at 7.5%

TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia's central bank said on Friday it has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 7.5%, after cutting it from 8% in March for the first time in five years amid intense pressure from President Kais Saied.

Tunisia's inflation rate fell to 5.9% in March and then to 5.6% in April, reaching its lowest level in five years.

The government projects inflation will average 6.2% this year, down from 7% in 2024.

The current account deficit, a key economic indicator, widened to 3.26 billion dinars ($1.10 billion) at 1.8%, the bank said in a statement following its board meeting.

It added that foreign currency reserves had fallen to 22.7 billion dinars, or enough for 98 days' worth of imports, as of Thursday, compared with 27.3 billion dinars, or 121 days, at the end of 2024.

($1 = 2.9600 Tunisian dinars)

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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