Romania Central Bank Revise Down 09 CPI Forecast To +4.3% -MediaFax

BUCHAREST -- Romania's central bank revised its forecast on the inflation rate for 2009 to 4.3%, from 4.4% estimated in May, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday, news agency Mediafax reported.

The central bank also revised its projection on 2010 annual inflation to 2.6%, from 2.8% seen three months ago.

The annual inflation rate was 6.3% at the end of 2008.

Romanian annual inflation slowed down to 5.86% in June, on lower fuel and food prices and a stable Romanian leu exchange rate.

The central bank Tuesday cut its key monetary rate by 50 basis points to 8.5% on the year and lowered the minimum reserve requirements on foreign currency-denominated liabilities to 30%, from 35%.