FinMin, RBI to announce steps soon: Pranab

New Delhi, Jun 25: Finance Minister

on Jun 25 said his ministry and the Reserve Bank will soon announce certain steps, as investors await the measures that are expected to check rupee slide and improve markets.

"I think notifications are going to be issued. In the morning, I discussed (those) with Secretary, Economic Affairs (R Gopalan). They are going to issue circular...RBI is going to issue the circular," he told reporters here.

He said that there were discussions with the RBI Governor D Subbarao also in this regard last week. The sharp decline in rupee against the US dollar is a cause of concern and there is expectation that steps would be announced to boost the vibrant domestic currency.

The rupee, however, recovered 71 paise against the dollar at 56.44 in early trade today on selling of American currency by banks amid expectations that RBI may announce steps to boost the local currency.

The economic growth has also fallen to a nine-year low of 6.5 per cent in 2011-12 and industrial output continues to be sluggish with a mere 0.1 per cent growth in April. Inflation too remained at an elevated level of 7.55 per cent in May.

The measures would be announced on a day when global agency Moody's has retained outlook on India's rating at stable despite the slowdown in GDP growth rate, saying that it is unlikely to be even a medium-term feature.

PTI