Inflation risks reinforce BI's hawkish stance
However, the upside pressure should be partly offset by easing prices of several key food commodities, with chicken, eggs, and cayenne pepper declining by 11.5% YTD, 10.8% YTD, and 11.0% YTD, respectively. Looking ahead, inflation risks remain tilted to the upside as BMKG projects El Niño to peak in Aug 26 with an index of 1.6—the same level recorded in Mar 24, when volatile food inflation surged to 10.4% YoY. In our view, the elevated inflation outlook reinforces BI's cautious policy stance and keeps the door open for further policy tightening should inflationary pressures and Rupiah volatility intensify.
