(Adds details about inflation after paragraph 4)
MOSCOW, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian government has raised its predicted GDP growth for 2006 a tenth of a percentage point to 6.1%, an economics ministry official said Monday.
"Under the basic scenario adopted for the budget, GDP will grow 6.1% in 2006," Andrei Klepach said.
He said the government's budget planning commission had approved a scenario earlier in the day that envisions lower GDP figures in 2007-09 than expected. Under the forecast, GDP growth will be 5.7% in 2007, 5.6% in 2008, and 5.7% in 2009.
Klepach also said inflation in the country had been 0.3% in the first 20 days of May, and added that monthly inflation in consumer prices would be 0.4%-0.5% and 5.8%-5.9% in the first five months of 2006.
The mid-term program for the country's social and economic development for 2006-2008 adopted by the government in December set the inflation target at 7-8.5% for 2006.
Earlier this year, experts warned that annual inflation could exceed the initial government target and hit 12-13%, after consumer prices grew 5.4% from the start of the year, partly due to the unusually cold winter. The government revised its forecast and said it would keep inflation to a single-digit figure of 9%.
Klepach also said the government had decided to raise the inflation ceiling for 2007-09 by 0.5%.
"The maximal inflation rate has been raised 0.5% to total 8% in 2007 (against 7.5%), 6% in 2008 (against 5.5%), and 5.5% in 2009 (against 5%)," Klepach said.
