JAKARTAsuperenamax, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The central bank of Indonesia, Bank Indonesia (BI), has decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 6.25 percent, BI Governor Perry Warjiyo announced on Thursday.

Following a two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, the board of governors made the decision and decided to keep interest rates for the lending and deposit facilities at 7 percent and 5.50 percent, respectively.

Warjiyo said that the aim behind maintaining the benchmark interest rate was "to maintain the stability of the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate" and was also in line with pre-emptive and forward-looking steps to guarantee that inflation in the country stays between 1.5 and 3.5 percent.

He said that Indonesia persists in implementing lax macroprudential policies that aim to promote banking lending to households and enterprises in a bid to ensure sustainable economic growth.■