US dollar eases Zimbabwe inflation

Zimbabweans have seen a slight fall in the price of everyday items since the government allowed shops to abandon the local currency in favour of the US dollar, government figures indicated.The data showed consumer prices fell in the first two months of the year, media reports on Friday said, raising hopes that there could be an end to the country's rampant hyper-inflation.Data from the Central Statistical Office showed inflation at -3.1 per cent on a monthly basis in February and -2.3 per cent in January.The last time official figures showed a month on month fall in inflation was in mid-2005.The 2009 figures were the first using US dollars so there was no annual comparison and analysts remain cautious."Things are slow, we are really struggling to get started," John Makumbe, a political analyst, said.