WELLINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s central bank held its official cash rate at 0.25% in a widely expected decision on Wednesday, saying the current stimulatory level of monetary settings was needed to meet its consumer price inflation and employment remit. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) also retained its large scale asset purchase (LSAP) programme at NZ$100 billion ($73.24 billion). The Funding for Lending Programme (FLP) operation was unchanged. Economists in a Reuters poll had unanimously expected the RBNZ to hold rates. ($1 = 1.3654 New Zealand dollars) (Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; Editing by Sam Holmes)