In addition, we have been open about our response pattern, our analyses of economic developments and our assessment of monetary policy performance. Others are bound to judge the Bank in a critical light, not least this assembly. I hope and believe that you will find that our words and actions are compatible, and that in retrospect it will not be difficult to see the rationality in what we do, although it may on occasion seem surprising then and there. If we manage this, confidence in monetary policy should take firm hold and strengthen ahead. The basis for interest-rate setting and the present economic situation  By way of conclusion, I would like to address the basis for interest-rate setting and the present economic environment. The projections and analyses in the Inflation Report, in conjunction with our continuous assessment of the inflation outlook and developments in the money and foreign exchange market, form the basis for our decisions concerning interest rates. In the last Inflation Report published on June 20, price inflation was projected at 2½ per cent in 2003 on the assumption that interest rates remain unchanged. Norges Bank's assessment of the economic outlook was last presented in  BIS Review 74/2001  11  connection with the Executive Board's monetary policy meeting on 8 August. Both the analysis in the Inflation Report and developments since its publication indicated that at today's interest rate level, it is likely that the inflation target will be reached in the course of two years.
Important to quantify the risks Normally, all risks that may have significance for the monetary policy decisions have been gone through by the Monetary Policy Department or the Financial Stability Department. But events may of course occur that are impossible to predict, or risks may arise at a later stage in the process that are very difficult to evaluate, such as the effects of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in autumn 2008. One central issue with regard to how the monetary policy decision-making process is set up is what stance the decision-makers, that is, the Executive Board, should take with regard to risks that for various reasons are not directly incorporated in the forecasts. If individual Executive Board members consider that there are observable risks and suspect that these may have significant consequences, the Riksbank will of course try to analyse these in depth. But it is not always easy to quantify such risks, and thus it may be difficult to include them in the actual forecast. The question then is how these risks should be taken into account in the monetary policy decisions. I consider it important to try to quantify as far as possible the risks deemed relevant to the monetary policy decisions. This is particularly so when it comes to risks with a low probability, but which would have substantial consequences for the way the economy develops, such as a burst housing bubble, so it is important to try to quantify how the risks are affected by the various alternative actions.