BLAGOVESHCHENSK, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Finance Ministry expects inflation to reach around 5.5-6 percent in 2014, although a freeze in tariffs for natural monopolies could hold it down to 5 percent or lower, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Saturday.
According to the Economic Development Ministry’s revised forecast, inflation should reach just 4.5-5.5 percent next year. Siluanov said Friday the Finance Ministry supports a freeze in natural monopoly tariffs and a proposal not to index-link them in 2014.
That measure would allow inflation to be held down by 0.5-1 percent, he said.
“Next year we are looking at the question of freezing natural monopoly tariffs…and next year the inflation rate should be according to our assessment, even lower than we initially planned…5.5-6 percent; now we think around 5 percent or even a bit less,” he said in an interview with Vesti TV channel.
Siluanov said the issue of natural monopoly tariffs was being discussed by the government and no final decision had yet been arrived at.
“But this is important and we are for it,” he said.
