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Russian govt. raises 2008 inflation target to 7%

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MOSCOW, December 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's government has revised the inflation target for 2008 up from 4.5-6% to 7%.

The government's budget planning commission has approved the fiscal plan for 2007-09, which also put the inflation target for 2009 at 6.8% against the earlier projected figure of 4-5.5%.

The inflation target for 2006 was originally set at 8.5% but had to be revised up to 9% after the first quarter.

The 2007 target is 6.5-8%, according to the federal budget.

Some economists have said even the ceiling for 2007 will be difficult to sustain, and have also argued that 9% is a normal inflation rate for a briskly developing economy.

But Central Bank First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev said inflation was slowing year-on-year due to the de-dollarization of the Russian economy, which already stood at $5 billion in 2006, with the funds converted into rubles.

He also said that lower inflation was also attributable to the Central Bank's monetary measures and the government's policy of controlling the charges of infrastructure monopolies.

Ruble appreciation has been one of the measures used by the Central Bank to contain inflation, which some experts criticize as ineffective, although investors in Russian debt have reaped rewards as ruble-denominated bond yields have outpaced European counterparts.

The ruble's real appreciation in January-August 2006 was 11.3% against the U.S. dollar and 5.5% against the euro.

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