Thursday, December 25, 2025
ADVT 
National

BOC holds key interest rate at 5%

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Mar, 2024 02:47 PM
  • BOC holds key interest rate at 5%

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says we've come a long way in our fight against high inflation but it's still too soon to start lowering interest rates.

The central bank has done as expected and kept its key interest rate steady at five per cent.

Macklem says the governing council believes the central bank needs to give higher rates more time to do their work. 

Speaking in Montreal, Macklem says history shows monetary policy is quite effective at controlling inflation in the medium term, but is unable to address short-term price fluctuations.

Macklem also says interest rates cannot fuel economic growth in the long run, noting that can only be reached through population growth or improvements on productivity.

MORE National ARTICLES

Church fire in Chilliwack

Church fire in Chilliwack
Fire investigators in Chilliwack are sifting through the charred debris of a church as they try to determine what sparked the blaze that gutted the building. Flames broke out at the Cross Connection Church just before three yesterday afternoon.  

Church fire in Chilliwack

Canada's promised Indo-Pacific trade representative to be based in Jakarta: Mary Ng

Canada's promised Indo-Pacific trade representative to be based in Jakarta: Mary Ng
Canada will open an export development office in Jakarta and has named an Indo-Pacific trade representative to help Canadian businesses enter new markets in the region, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday while in Indonesia.

Canada's promised Indo-Pacific trade representative to be based in Jakarta: Mary Ng

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada
The government of British Columbia has said no schools were damaged by the fires that tore through parts of the province, but that doesn't mean students will be unaffected.  The flames passed close by some schools in Kelowna, B.C., leaving destruction in their wake. 

Students head back to school as heat warnings blanket Central Canada

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity
British Columbia's wildfire service says long weekend weather conditions caused "very aggressive fire activity" on several active blazes in the province's central fire zone. The service says the area covering the Vanderhoof and Fort St. James fire zone saw less humidity than expected, coupled with hot temperatures and strong winds over the long weekend. 

Weekend weather in central B.C. causes 'very aggressive' fire activity

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears
Two premiers have sent letters to Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem urging the central bank to halt rate hikes ahead of its next rate decision tomorrow. Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent a letter on Sunday saying families and businesses cannot afford the "crushing impact of further rate hikes," echoing a letter British Columbia Premier David Eby sent on Thursday.

Political pressure to stop rate hikes now coming from premiers, as BoC decision nears

Shooting in Port Alberni

Shooting in Port Alberni
A man is in hospital and police are looking for a suspect vehicle after a shooting in Port Alberni. The R-C-M-P say it happened earlier today in a city back alley, leaving the victim with non-life-threatening injuries.

Shooting in Port Alberni