Indonesia's inflation eases in Oct.

Indonesian annual inflation rate accelerated at slower pace in Oct., as gold and foods prices decreased, giving more rooms for the central bank to trim its benchmark interest rate at its meeting early this month, official and analyst said here on Tuesday. Deputy for Distribution and Services of the Statistic Bureau named only Djamal told a press conference that the inflation in Oct. slowed to 4.42 percent year on year after accelerating at 4. 61 percent in Sept. The central bank last month cut its rate by 25 basis points for the first time for more than two years as an effort to protect the country's economy from the risks of the global economic slowdown.. "The possibility is that the central bank is going to cut or keep the rate unchanged at its upcoming meeting this month, as an effort to spur growth," Farial Anwar, analyst from the Currency Management Growth told Xinhua by phone after the announcement. He forecast the external pressure from the possible rise of global oil prices would be very small that make the inflation outlooks to be good. "Many countries have decreased their interest rate at five percent or below five percent as the inflation pressure has eased," he said Anwar. Should the central bank decide to trim rate, it would be done by 25 basis points, he predicted. On month, Djamal said that inflation fell by 0.12 percent in Oct., and core inflation which excludes volatile foods and oil prices decreased to 4.43 percent in Oct. year on year after accelerating at 4.93 percent in Sept. The central bank has forecast the economy to accelerate by 6.7 percent in the fourth quarter as the external pressure from the gloomy global economy had been weakened that it had the foreign capitals started flowing again into the country, Hermanta, executive researcher of the bank has said recently. Consumption and exports would also supported the growth, he said. For the entire of this year the bank predicted the economy would expand by 6.6 percent, and 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent next year, he said. Governor of the bank Darmin Nasution has said that the inflation central bank would remain on guard in controlling the stability in currency and bonds markets, despite the external pressure has eased. The bank has said that it would purchase rupiah and government bond for stability.Indonesia's exports increased by 46.3 percent to 17.82 billion U.S. dollar in Sept. yea ron year, said Djamal.