Russia's inflation 0.6% in first half of July - Central Bank -1

MOSCOW, July 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's inflation rate totaled 0.6% in the first 16 days of July, against 0.4% in the same period last year, the Central Bank's chairman said Thursday.

Sergei Ignatyev said the increase in the cost of goods and services since the start of the year was 6.3% as of July 16, against 6.6% in the same period of 2006.

The chairman said he hoped inflation would not exceed the 8% target set by the government.

"We are not going to change the forecast," Ignatyev said.