Asian central banks that have been forced into aggressive rate hikes this year have been given some breathing room in 2019, after the U.S. Federal Reserve struck a more dovish tone in its monetary policy for the year ahead, Nikkei Asian Review reports. Bank Indonesia kept is benchmark interest rates unchanged on Thurday, capping off a busy year in which it was forced to raise its policy rate six times by a total of 175 basis points as the rupiah plummeted against the U.S. dollar. Previously on Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate a quarter-point to 2.25 per cent. Fed officials now forecast two hikes next year, down from three rate raises previously projected, as the U.S. economic growth is expected to slow down.