Russian consumer prices jump 1.2 pct in February

MOSCOW - Consumer prices in Russia jumped 1.2 percent in February from the figure the previous month, the Federal Statistics Service said Sunday.
Prices had risen 2.6 percent in January because of a sharp rise in service prices.
The figures cast doubt on a target by the government to curb inflation to 8.5 percent this year, after prices rose 11.7 percent in 2004, beginning with a monthly gain of 1.8 percent in January 2004.
Russian news agencies, quoting an unpublished finance ministry report, said Saturday that the government had revised its inflation estimate for 2005 to 10 percent, up from 8.5 percent.

03/06/2005 06:49 GMT