Malawi's inflation climbed to 9.9 percent

Malawi's inflation climbed to 9.9 percent year-on-year in December from 9.6 percent in November, largely due to higher non-food prices.

Malawi's second consecutive surplus harvest of the maize staple helped to reduce inflation from 15 percent in June 2006 to single digits in early 2007.

According to the Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, he said the southern African nation would not able to meet some of its economic targets because of the global financial crisis, which may hurt exports.

Malawi relies on agriculture, primarily tobacco, for its foreign earnings and is dependent on imported oil and gas.