Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:55pm EDT
CARACAS, March 31 (Reuters) - Venezuela's consumer prices rose 0.9 percent in March, t he l owest monthly rate in the last four years, P resident Hugo Chavez said on Saturday.
The South American OPEC member had the highest inflation in the Americas last year at 27.6 percent, and economists had expected it to be even higher in 2012 due to a pre-election spending bonanza by Chavez's government.
But officials have sought to combat inflation with new price controls on some basic goods in food, health and other sectors from the end of last year.
"There's good news," Chavez said in comments carried live on state TV. "Inflation for March, which ends today, was less than 1 percent, it was 0.9 percent. We must congratulate those working on this issue, the Central Bank of Venezuela."
The March figure announced by Chavez compared with 1.1 percent inflation in February, and was the lowest since a new price index was introduced in January 2008.
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