*Paraguay’s central bank (BCP) has announced it is lowering its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%. This follows interest rate cuts of 25 basis points in January, and of 50 basis points in November and December. In January, monthly inflation was 0.9% – up from 0.3% in December. The BCP said this increase was mainly attributed to higher prices of beef and volatile items, although it was offset by lower fuel prices. The annual rate in January stood at 3.4%, down from 3.7% in December. The BCP said that inflation expectations have remained in line with the 4.0% target for all periods surveyed.