The Board of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has decided to raise the key policy rate by 1 pp, to 7.5% per annum.

"The Board of the National Bank of Ukraine has decided to raise the key policy rate by 1 pp, to 7.5% per annum. This step is aimed at gradually slowing down inflation in H2 2021 and returning it to the 5% target already in H1 2022," the press service of the central bank said on Thursday.

The NBU's baseline forecast envisages that the key policy rate will remain unchanged, at 7.5%, until the end of 2021. Given current inflationary movements, this should suffice to bring inflation back to its 5% target in H1 2022.

However, if underlying inflationary pressures rise more noticeably than currently expected, and if inflation expectations worsen, there could be the need for further tighter monetary policy tightening.

The NBU stands ready to continue raising its key policy rate to a level that will bring inflation back to its 5% target in H1 2022, the regulator said.