Zimbabwe's Central Statistical Office has again delayed release of monthly inflation data as figures for May were due out last week. But a private consulting firm estimates year-on-year inflation surged to 4,530% last month from 3,713% in April.
Focus Research of Harare said monthly inflation slowed to some 55% from over 100% in April. CSO Chief Executive Moffat Nyoni said the inflation data were not ready.
Release of official data has been erratic in the past several months amid allegations that the government has been massaging increasingly appalling inflation figures.
The Central Statistical Office for the past year has published the data around the 10th of every month, but the March figure, which hit 2,200% was only announced by the Central bank on April 26 after weeks of delay and speculation.
Last month's data emerged May 16 but was initially released only to the state-controlled Herald newspaper.
Economist Luckmore Zinyama, a former CEO of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that nothing is being done to relieve underlying inflationary pressures.