The National Statistics and Census Institute (INDEC) has revealed that inflation figures for the month of March totalled 2.6 percent, as announced by Economy Minister Axel Kicillof in a press conference held today.
The latest numbers, added to an official estimate of 3.7 percent in January and 3.4 percent in February, mean that for the government agency prices have risen 9.8 percent in the first three months of 2014.
Kicillof was pleased with the continued deceleration in price increases, and forecast a similar reduction in the current month.
«Our reports from the Trade Secretary show us that the slowdown has grown in the first two weeks of April,» the minister affirmed.
The economist also took the opportunity to criticise private studies for a lack of rigour.
«We do not know anything about any of the indices that have been published, what products they study or in which geographic zones,» he fired. Kicillof continued in an ironic manner, stating he was «scared that on mentioning them, [private consultants] will keep putting up a higher index.»
Within March’s results, the highest increases were to be seen in the areas of education, with costs up 6.2 percent, and clothing, which due to the change of season rose 5.3 percent.
Food prices, meanwhile, saw spikes of 2.4 percent, and construction costs rose 1.6 percent across the month.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald