28 March, Minsk /Anna Kot - BELTA/. The National Bank of Belarus will reduce the refinancing rate to 36% per annum from April 2, the Information Department of the National Bank informed a BELTA correspondent. "The Board of the National Bank has decided to reduce the refinancing rate by 2 percentage points to 36% per annum from April 2, 2012," the National Bank stated. The National Bank is gradually reducing interest rates against the backdrop of strengthening positive trends in the economy and monetary sphere. Inflationary processes are steadily slowing down, stable growth in ruble deposits of the population is observed, and the state of foreign trade is improving. At the same time, the refinancing rate and the main rates on term ruble instruments continue to remain at a high level, both nominal and real. As a result, high profitability is ensured for ruble deposits offered by banks to the population, significantly exceeding the profitability of deposits in foreign currency and the expected inflation rate. "The further dynamics of the refinancing rate will be determined primarily by the intensity of inflationary processes and the situation in the economy and monetary sphere," the Information Department of the National Bank reported. This is the third reduction in the refinancing rate in Belarus since the beginning of 2012. Prior to this, it was reduced on February 15 - from 45% to 43% per annum and on March 1 - from 43% to 38% per annum.-0-

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