Property investment > Finance

CYPRUS' EU harmonised inflation eased to 4.3 per cent year-on-year in April from 4.4 per cent in March, the statistics department said yesterday.

The April HICP reading was lower than the headline inflation of 4.6 per cent released on May 2.

Fuel-related utility bills were 12.4 per cent higher in April 2008 than a year ago, reflecting record highs in the price of crude on world markets. Transport costs were up 6.9 per cent and food inflation 4.3 per cent. Alcohol and cigarettes were unchanged on last year, while communications costs were barely higher. The cost of clothes and footwear was down 1.9 per cent.

For the January-April period, the index was 4.4 per cent higher than to a year ago, the statistics department said.