Bujumbura - Burundi's annual inflation rate rose slightly to 11.8% in December from 11.7% in November as food prices rose on local markets, the national statistics board said on Thursday.
The price index for food rose 6.9%t in the 12 months to December, from 6.5% in November, the Institute of Economic Studies and Statistics (ISTEEBU) said in its report.
The central African nation's government lifted duties on basic imported food such as beans, rice and potatoes after soaring prices prompted strikes last year in the capital.
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in his New Year message that the exemption which ended in December last year has been extended until June 2013 to alleviate the impact of rising food costs.
In December, the government predicted a headline inflation rate of 14% in 2013 versus an estimated 8.4% in 2012, due to rising food and fuel prices.
Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.