Weekly Review of Slovene Economy from 24 to 29 April

Ljubljana, 29 April - Retail prices dropped 0.1 percent in April over March this year for the first time after June 1990. The rate of inflation in April was thus minus 0.1 percent, according to the National Office of Statistics. Retail prices rose 2.4 percent in April 1995 over December 1994, and 14.1 percent over April 1994. These figures mainly resulted from lower prices of electrical energy for households, which decreased by 14.9 percent on the average, and from 2 percent lower prices of vehicles on the average. The price of one kilowatt hour of electrical energy for households dropped 33.3 percent due to the summer season, but rose 15 percent at the same time. Prices of fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs and fish dropped 6.4 percent, while prices of processed food rose 0.2 percent, of beverages 1.1 percent, and of services 1.6 percent. Prices of necessaries of life dropped 0.2 percent on the average in April over March, and went up 3.4 percent over December 1994, and up 15.3 percent over April 1994.