BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

31/01/2007

Belarus Raises Key Rate

MINSK -- Belarus's central bank will raise its key refinancing rate to 11 percent from 10 percent effective Feb. 1 as the bank expects inflation to quicken following a nearly two-fold increase in prices for Russian natural gas.

"We have a forecast that inflation in January will be higher. Energy prices have grown. The economy ministry raised domestic prices for gas and electricity. : That's why we adopted such, maybe a preventive, measure," a central bank official said. (Reuters)

Source:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/01/31/061.html