Singapore c.bank chief sees weak near-term growth, inflation easing by year-end

SINGAPORE, July 5 (Reuters) - Singapore's economic growth will remain weak in the near term though the city-state should see further reductions in inflation by the year's end, the central bank chief said on Wednesday.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has lowered its forecast for 2023 headline inflation to 4.5% to 5.5%, said chief Ravi Menon, but added that Singapore's fight against inflation was not over.

The central bank in April left its monetary policy unchanged after five rounds of tightening since October 2021, including two off-cycle moves. (Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Martin Petty)