Romania's cycle of interest rate hikes was not finished but the pace of future tightening was harder to assess, central bank board member Cristian Popa said on Thursday.

Annual inflation rose above expectations to 15.3% in August. The central bank has raised its inflation forecasts for this year and next, but said it should still be on a downward trend from the fourth quarter of 2022. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)