Fin Min expects lower inflation despite rise in food and beverage prices

The Finance Ministry said yesterday it expected the country's inflation to ease in annual terms to 3.3% to 3.4% in March from 3.5% in February. The forecast followed the release of food price data for the first half of the month, which showed food and non-alcoholic beverage prices picking up 0.3% in the period. "We see March inflation at 3.3% to 3.4% in annual terms with the month-on-month consumer price index (CPI) at 0.3%," the head of the Finance Ministry's analytical department, Jacek Krzyslak, told Reuters. Inflation figures for March will be published by the Central Statistical Office (GUS) on April 15. (Reuters)