Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo: RNZFinance Minister Nicola Willis might be being optimistic if she thinks inflation at 3.7 percent is a "worst case scenario", one economist says. "My instinctive reaction to the number from the Finance Minster yesterday of 3.7 percent being a worst-case scenario ... it felt too light to be a worst-case scenario." Westpac said it now did not expect inflation to get below 3 percent until the end of the year. ANZ said it did not think the change to the outlook for inflation would affect its official cash rate predictions yet.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2026 19:43 UTC