BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

30/07/2008

Belarus expects 2008 inflation to exceed forecast rate, reach 14%

MINSK. July 30 (Interfax) - In 2008, the Belarusian inflation rate could reach 14%, Deputy Economy Minister Tatyana Starchenko told a press conference in Minsk.

"If in the second half of the year we manage to reach the level of the first half, it will be good," Starchenko said, adding that the inflation in the first half of 2008 was 7.3%.

"Today, it is obvious that there is no chance to stay within the forecast 10%," the deputy minister added.

It was reported earlier that in 2008 the Belarusian government planned to keep the inflation rate at 9-10%. In 2007 consumer prices in the country grew by 12.1% (against the forecast 6-8%) after a 6.6% increase in 2006.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/414915/news.aspx

Google