Reserve Bank of New Zealand Chief Economist Paul Conway said Thursday that the central bank’s late-October rate decision remains open despite mounting price pressures. Speaking at IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, he stressed that policymakers want flexibility to either hold the Official Cash Rate or raise it by 25bps. While a hike is still seen as the most likely outcome, its timing is uncertain. Conway noted oil price gains and a weaker New Zealand dollar have added near-term inflation pressure, complicating the outlook. Still, the board expects inflation to ease back into its 1–3% target next year. With risks skewed to higher near-term inflation, officials are keeping both options open, with the scale and timing of any tightening dependent on incoming data.