Biggest challenge for central bankers now to bring inflation down: IMF

"There's really a very narrow path to get things right," Gopinath said, noting that the dollar's sharp rise had important macroeconomic implications for a host of countries around the world

The biggest challenge facing central bankers now is bringing inflation down, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, as her deputy warned of the growing risk of economic fragmentation.

Georgieva told a conference in Washington that policymakers should adopt targeted measures to alleviate rising food and fuel prices, while avoiding steps that could fuel inflation or sidetrack monetary policy.

First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath, speaking at the same conference, said the strengthening dollar, now at its highest level in more than 20 years, and concerns about financial fragility also posed big challenges in the current environment, and there