Consumer prices drop 0.7% in Belarus in Aug

MINSK. Sept 11 (Interfax) — Consumer prices fell 0.7% in August in Belarus, compared with a growth of 0.5% in July, the Statistics & Analysis Ministry told Interfax.

Inflation was 2.9% in the first eight months of 2006 compared with 4.6% in the same period last year.

The country's social and economic development forecast envisions consumer prices will grow around 7%-9% in 2006.

The National Bank of Belarus announced early in the year that it and the government are planning to keep inflation at no more than 7% in 2006.