PRAGUE, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Consumer prices in the Czech Republic rose by 2.1 percent year-on-year in November, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from October and the lowest level since April, the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) said on Wednesday.
This price development, as in previous months, was significantly influenced by food prices, which fell by 1 percent compared to October, said Pavla Sediva, head of the Consumer Price Statistics Unit of the CZSO in a statement.
The statement noted lower prices in food and non-alcoholic beverages, with fruit prices dropping by 3.6 percent and butter by 9.1 percent month on month.
The latest figures align with the monetary policy objectives of the Czech National Bank (CNB), which targets an inflation rate of 2 percent.
Inflation fell close to the CNB's target in November, confirming the expectations of its autumn forecast, said Jakub Mateju, deputy executive director of the CNB's Monetary Department, on Wednesday.
"We welcome the decline in inflation but would like to point out that it is driven by volatile items of the consumer basket such as food and alcohol," Mateju said.
He warned that the good news on low price growth in these categories "may easily be followed by a surprise in the opposite direction," noting that inflation in services remains a risk factor. ■
