RATISLAVA, April 21, (WEBNOVINY)- Consumer prices in Slovakia this year should grow at a moderately quicker pace than originally expected. Bank analysts increased their prognosis of harmonized inflation at the end of this year by 0.1 percentage points to 3.9 percent in April. Already inflation figures for March indicated an accelerated price growth. According to the Statistics Office harmonized inflation in the third month achieved 3.8 percent, which was the highest level since November 2008. Analysts however had expected that prices will grow 0.2 percentage points slower. They forecast harmonized inflation of 3.8 percent for April.
As it ensues from the April round of a regular survey that the National Bank of Slovakia carries out among bank analysts the Slovak economy grew 3.3 percent y/y over the first quarter of this year in line with banks’ estimates. Compared with March estimates the April figure is 0.1 percentage points lower. However, analysts have not changed their economic development prognoses for the whole year leaving them at 3.6 percent for this year and at 4.5 percent in 2012.
Banking houses‘ GDP prognoses for this year are thus more favorable than the central bank’s and the Finance Ministry’s expectations. According to the latest official prognoses of the central bank from December of last year the Slovak economy should post a growth of 3 percent. The Finance Minsitry moderately increased its estimate of the Slovak economic growth for this year from the original 3.3 percent to 3.4 percent in its updated macroeconomic prognoses from February.
SITA
