DR Congo’s central bank increased its benchmark interest rate by 200 bps to 11.0%, as pressures on the government budget persist due to the war in Ukraine and domestic conflict. Inflation increased to 9.2% YoY as of June 16, with the central bank projecting it to rise to 11.5% by the end of the year. The bank has also increased the reserve requirement in Congolese francs for banks from 0% to 10%. Meanwhile, FX reserves stood at USD 4.2 bln as of June 16.