Finance Ministry expects no change in CPI despite 0.2% food price rise

The Finance Ministry yesterday maintained its forecast for December's consum er price index (CPI) at 3.6%, or unchanged from November's annual rate. Jace k Krzyslak, head of the Ministry's analytical department, said fresh data sh owing that food prices rose by 0.2% in the second half of December after ris ing 0.6% in the previous 15 days had not led to a change in the Ministry's f orecast for December inflation. "We see the month-on-month CPI rise at 0.3% in December and are keeping the annual forecast at 3.6%, which would bring a verage 2001 inflation to 5.5%," he said. Poland's average annual inflation r ate in 2000 was 10.1% and the CPI ended the year at 8.5%. The Central Statis tical Office (GUS) is due to publish December inflation data on January 15. (Reuters)