AS THE MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA STARTS ITS TWO-DAY MEETING ON TUESDAY, ANALYSTS HAVE INDICATED THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY RAISE THE MONETARY POLICY RATE AGAIN TO TACKLE RISING INFLATION. THE BITING INFLATION RATE HAD ASSUMED AN UPWARD SWING IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND THE SITUATION HAD MADE THE MPC TO KEEP RAISING THE MPR. THE MPC TEAM HAD STATED IN THE PAST THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ALLOW THE INFLATION RATE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE MPC.AT THE LAST MPC MEETING IN MARCH, THE GOVERNOR, CBN, GODWIN EMEFIELE, HAD ANNOUNCED THE MEMBERS’ DECISION AFTER VOTING TO RAISE THE MPR BY 50 BASIS POINTS TO 18.0 PER CENT; RETAIN THE ASYMMETRIC CORRIDOR OF +100/-700 BASIS POINTS AROUND THE MPR; RETAIN THE CRR AT 32.5 PER CENT; AND RETAIN THE LIQUIDITY RATIO AT 30 PER CENT.