NZ consumer prices rise 0.3% in second quarter, slowest annual pace since 1999

NZ consumer prices rise 0.3% in second quarter, slowest annual pace since 1999
By Paul McBeth July 17 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand consumer prices less than expected in the second quarter for the slowest annual pace since December 1999, as cheaper telecommunication prices offset the rising cost of electricity and rentals. The consumer price index increased 0.3 percent in the three months ended June 30, according to Statistics New Zealand, slower than the 0.5 percent pace forecast by a Reuters survey of economists, unchanged from the first quarter. The annual pace of inflation was 1 percent, slower than the 1.1 percent f...