Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:48:19 GMT
New Zealand consumer prices decline amid sluggish economy
New Zealand consumer prices declined last quarter, which was against economists' expectations of a 0.1% rise, on cheaper imports and sluggish economy, paving the way for the nation's central bank to extend a period of low interest rates. Consumer prices fell 0.2% from the previous quarter, when they increased 0.3%, according to Statistics New Zealand.