MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's inflation for January-September 2006, plus the first ten days of October, was 7.3%, or 1.3% down from the same period of 2005, the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank said Monday.
Alexei Ulyukayev also said inflation for the first ten months of 2006 will be 7.5%.
Earlier, Ulyukayev said 2006 inflation as of mid-September was 7.1%, which was 0.3 percentage points less than the same period last year.
The head of the Central Bank said on October 12 that inflation for 2006 would not exceed 9%, compared to 10.9% in 2005.
"I hope the forecast will be justified, and perhaps it will prove even lower," Sergei Ignatyev said.
Earlier the Central Bank forecast inflation at 8.5%, but said the estimate could rise.
