ZAGREB, 30 Aug (Hina) – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday that the latest data on inflation in August show that the government’s measures to cap energy prices are efficient in restricting prices.

The year-on-year inflation rate in Croatia as measured by the consumer price index was 1.8% in August 2024, the national statistical office (DZS) reported earlier today. The latest statistics indicate the continuation of deceleration of inflation over the past several months. Compared to July 2024, the inflation rate grew by 0.1%.

Broken down by the main index components, the year-on-year inflation rate for services was 5.9%, for food, beverages and tobacco 2.3%, and for industrial non-food products without energy 0.5%, while for energy prices it was -3.7%.

Plenković said that the government’s decision to cap energy prices created preconditions for them not to contribute to rising inflation.

It remains to be seen in the next four months how inflation will go on, and according to the current data, the government’s forecast of its annual trend of slightly above 3% in 2024 will be correct, and the government also expects economic growth to reach about 3.5%, he added.

All that proves that we have done our utmost concerning rises in salaries for our citizens, higher pensions and creating the conditions for higher economic standards and catching up with the EU member states that joined the bloc before us, the premier said in Virovitica, where he had attended a ceremony marking Virovitica-Podravina County Day.