ZAMBIA’S inflation levels soared to 30% at the close of 1998, the highest figure recorded in the last 21 months. According to the December edition of Zambia’s Central Statistics Office’s Consumer Price Index (CSO), the inflation levels continued to increase despite government’s reduced targets. The annualised inflation rate for December stood at 30,6% from the November figure of 26,1%. The CSO report attributed the rise in inflation levels to continued price increases in nearly every economic sector, including foodstuffs, medical and hospital care, and petrol imports.
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