April Inflation Registers at 0.91%

FUELED by higher housing, transportation and health-care costs, Costa Rica registereda monthly inflation of 0.91% in April.Inflation for the first four months of theyear was 4.44%, the National Statistics andCensus Institute (INEC) reported Tuesday.Inflation for the first three months of2003 was 3.11%. Inflation over the last 12months was reported at 11.29%.April’s inflation numbers mark anincrease compared to March, when inflationregistered at 0.46%. However, it is stilllower than the inflation rates reported duringthe five-month period between October2003 and February of this year, when theConsumer Price Index grew by more than1% each month.The Central Bank has set its 2004 targetinflation at less than 9% (TT, March 26).Annual inflation in 2003 was 9.87%.