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WASHINGTON – The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on May 4 warned that inflation was already picking up and the global economy could face a “much worse outcome” if the war in the Middle East drags into 2027 and oil prices hit around US$125 (S$159.60) per barrel.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the continuation of the war meant that the global lender’s scenario calling for a minor slowdown of global growth and a minor increase in prices was no longer possible.
As a result, the IMF’s “adverse scenario” was already in effect, she said. Long-term inflation expectations remained anchored and financial conditions were not tightening, but that could change if the war continued, she told a conference hosted by the Milken Institute. REUTERS
