Food prices inched down 0.7% in June, after a 0.8% increase a month earlier, the statistics institute INS said. However, prices of non-food items and service tariffs rose by 0.3% and 0.9% on the month, respectively.
Romanians paid by 11% less for potatoes in June compared with the previous month, while egg prices declined 2.2%.
In the non-food sector, fuel prices increased 1% on a monthly basis in June, while the cost of cars and car parts was up 1.1%. Air transportation was by 3.2% more expensive, while postal and telecom tariffs rose by 2.3%.
The country’s harmonized index of consumer prices, or HICP, edged up to 4.5% at the end of May, from 4.3% the month before.
Romanian central bank targets an annual inflation of 2.5% at the end of 2013, plus/minus one percentage point around the band.
Last week, the bank has cut its key lending rate by a quarter-of-a-point to an all time low of 5% a year, citing lower inflationary pressures.