Romanian Inflation Slows Less Than Expected as Tax Hikes Weigh

Romanian inflation eased less than expected as the government’s tax hikes and austerity measures continue to weigh on prices and prevent the central bank from easing monetary policy.

Consumer prices rose 9.6% from a year earlier in January, compared with 9.7% in the previous month, the statistics office in Bucharest said Monday. The reading was above the 9.4% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey. Prices advanced 0.9% from the previous month.

Romania’s central bank is waiting for inflation to slow before it can consider potential interest rate cuts that could ease the strain on the recession-hit economy. Price growth ...