Ghana's consumer inflation rises to 16.8 pct in April

Ghana's annual consumer price inflation rose to 16.8 percent in April from 16.6 percent in the previous month due in part to a rise in the price of utilities, the statistics office said on Wednesday.
The year-on-year non-food inflation rate for April was 23.2 compared with 23.1 percent in March, while the food inflation rate that stood at 7.2 percent, said government statistician Philomena Nyarko.
Housing water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose at 25.0 percent, she told a news conference.
The West African nation started a three-year aid program worth $918 million with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April to restore fiscal balance to an economy dogged by a deficit, a debt-to-GDP level close to 70 and a falling currency.
Ghana received the first disbursement of $114.8 million as part of the IMF program and the government said the funds would be used to boost the central bank's reserves.
The government also expects the deal to unlock additional donor and investor inflows in support of the local cedi currency.