Faster cooling in Singapore's inflation puts focus on monetary outlook

SINGAPORE: Singapore's key inflation rate rose at a slower pace than markets had expected last month, official data showed on Friday, opening the door for the central bank to potentially start easing monetary policy settings sooner than many anticipate.

The core inflation rate - which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs - came in at 3.1% year-on-year, well below the 3.6% forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and compared with 3.3% seen in December.