ECB must keep hiking to tame inflation 'poison', Deutsche Bank CEO says

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FILE PHOTO: Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank AG, addresses the media during the bank's annual news conference in Frankfurt

BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Central Bank needs to continue raising interest rates to tame the highest inflation in decades, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing said on Tuesday.

"This poison must go out," he said, referring to inflation at an event in Berlin. He warned that inflation weakens consumption and hinders growth in the long term.

High inflation is having a massive impact on consumers, Sewing said. At least 30% of the customers of banks could no longer meet their normal expenses with their income and had to use their savings, he said.

Consumers can make use of savings accumulated during the pandemic, but these will tend to decrease, Sewing warned.

(Reporting by Christian Kraemer. Writing by Maria Martinez; Editing by Bill Berkrot)