MOSCOW, January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Inflation in Russia in the first 15 days of January was 1.3% compared with 1.7% in the same period last year, the chairman of the Central Bank, Sergei Ignatyev, said Thursday.
Last year's inflation aggregated 9%, down from 10.9% in 2005, according to the national statistics service.
A forecast for the country's social and economic development until 2009, prepared by the Finance Ministry, projects inflation at 6.5%-8% in 2007, 4.5-6% in 2008, and 4-5.5% in 2009.
However, late last year the economics ministry gave higher consumer price growth projections of 7% for 2008, and 6.8% for 2009. According to the ministry, inflation will slow down to 6.5% in 2010.