Mauritius’ new central bank Governor Sithanen is focused on curbing the rupee’s decline and addressing foreign currency shortages, as the trade deficit is set to hit a record 195 bln rupees (USD 4.13 bln) this year. The rupee fell by 1.7% this week, bringing its YTD losses to nearly 7%. Inflation rose to 3.4% in October, the highest since April. The central bank has been intervening since July to stabilize the currency.