January 02, 2008	Wednesday	Zilhaj 22, 1428

ISTANBUL, Jan 1: Turkish state energy firm Botas has raised the price of natural gas by 7.4 per cent for households and 6.5 per cent for industry as of Jan 1, state news agency Anatolian reported on Tuesday.

Anatolian, which quoted a statement from Botas, gave no further details. No one at Botas was available to confirm the report.

Turkey’s central bank, which targets inflation of 4 per cent this year, has repeatedly cited energy prices as a risk to the inflation outlook.

It has cut interest rates four times since September, although November consumer price inflation came in at annual 8.4 per cent, more than double last year’s target, which was also 4 per cent.—Reuters