28 Oct 2010 16:54

Nat'l Bank of Ukraine lowers 2010 inflation forecast from 10.5% to 8%

KYIV. Oct 28 (Interfax) - The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has lowered its inflation forecast for this year to about 8% from the 10.5% it was predicting earlier, NBU board member and executive director for economic affairs Ihor Shumilo said at the annual Fitch Ratings conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

"We expect inflation at the 8% level, that is, lower than the 10% we forecast previously, since events [economic recovery] have developed more actively," Shumilo said.

The worst-case scenario, Shumilo said, would be inflation of up to 12%.

The Ukrainian government is sticking with its official 13.1% inflation forecast for this year. Inflation in the country was 12.3% last year.