INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee favours cutting interest rates and continuing with an accommodative stance until the
economy is firmly on a recovery path, its minutes showed.A significant moderation in domestic demand at a time when inflation is seen
staying well within mandated targets provides adequate monetary policy space to support economic growth, according to the central bank
minutes released on Friday.The RBI this month cut rates by 25 basis points as expected, taking cumulative cuts to 135 basis points so far in
2019.Retail inflation rose close to the RBI's medium-term target of 4 per cent in September for the first time in 14 months but is
weakest pace since 2013 in the June quarter, expanding just 5 per cent, as consumer demand and government spending slowed amid the global
trade frictions."This pronounced cyclical downswing suggests that the state of the economy will likely get worse before it gets better,"
corporate tax rates, steps to revive the crisis-hit autos sector, small businesses and its troubled shadow banks to calm investor nerves and
lift consumer sentiment.The fiscal measures have raised concerns of missing a fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent for the year ending
March 2020 but the finance minister has assured markets they will meet the target.RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, however, said there is a
need to be watchful of the fiscal situation.The central bank at its policy review also lowered its growth forecast for the current fiscal
year to 6.1 per cent from 6.9 per cent and most members suggested the recovery in growth may take longer than previous expected."Monetary
policy cannot be a permanent form of stimulus further monetary policy action will depend on the evolving growth-inflation dynamics," member
Chetan Ghate said.Follow TheIndianSubcontinent for latest election news and live coverage of assembly elections 2019 in Maharashtra and
