WELLINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Graeme Wheeler will make an announcement on his future in the role soon as he comes to the end of his first five-year term in September, according to the country's finance minister.
Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Bloomberg on Monday evening that Wheeler's announcement on his future as governor would come "fairly soon."
"I don't really want to get into where he's at in terms of seeking a renewal or not," Joyce said, according to Bloomberg.
"He's indicated a time frame, which is fairly soon, in terms of when he's going to say something. I'll leave him to do that."
RBNZ head of communications Mike Hannah said by email, "Graeme Wheeler will make a statement in due course."
Wheeler has not indicated whether he will seek a second term. New Zealand law requires RBNZ governors to step down at the age of 70, which would affect the final year of a second term if 65-year-old Wheeler were to apply for one.
Joyce told Bloomberg that the rules may be outdated and in need of reassessment, but that there would be any change to accommodate Wheeler.
"Let's just wait and see," Joyce said when asked if Wheeler would serve a term for four years.
The finance minister also said in the interview said that it was unlikely that the government would change the bank's 1 to 3 percent inflation target.
The RBNZ has struggled to keep price growth within that band, with the consumer price index finally rising to 1.3 percent in December after two years below 1 percent.