Israel's consumer price index dipped 0.6 percent in August from July, the central statistics office said on Friday, September 15.
This brings to 0.1 percent the growth in inflation since the beginning of the year. Year-earlier figures were not available.
The August decline was due to a drop in clothing prices and the sharp reduction on or even elimination of special import taxes on more than 600 products, mostly electro-domestic appliances.
The Israeli economy is booming, with the Bank of Israel recently forecasting that 2000 growth will reach 5.5 to 6 percent. That compares with an initial estimate by the government of only 3 percent.— (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
