Inflation slips below 4 pct in March
ZAGREB, April 16 (Hina) - Please note that the lead of the news item headlined "Inflation slips below 4 pct in March" should correctly read as follows: "Inflation slipped from 4.9 per cent in February to 3.7 per cent in March, its lowest level since April 2012, when it was 2.6%, the State Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
Following is the corrected news item:
Inflation slipped from 4.9 per cent in February to 3.7 per cent in March, its lowest level since April 2012, when it was 2.6%, the State Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
In March 2013, the prices of goods and services for personal consumption were 0.3% higher on the month and 3.7% on the year.
The decline in inflation was expected. Four macroeconomists polled by Hina predicted that consumer prices in March would go up 3.6% on the year, with their estimates ranging from 3.5 to 3.8%.
Following a VAT increase in March 2012 and a subsequent increase in electricity and gas prices, inflation gradually grew last year, exceeding 4% in August and peaking at 5.2% in January, its highest level since October 2008.
Year-on-year, the prices of housing, water, energy, gas and other fuels went up 11.3%. The price of electricity jumped 16.7% and that of gas 21.3%.