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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Botswana's consumer inflation quickened to 5.8 percent year-on-year in December on higher transport and household equipment costs, the Central Statistics Office said on Friday.
The CSO said December inflation accelerated from 5.0 percent year-on-year in November as the transport index rose by 0.8 percent and furnishing and household equipment by 0.7 percent in the month. Food inflation was down 0.6 percent.

Inflation has been on a downward trend after peaking at 15.1 percent in August 2008. The Bank of Botswana has said it will stabilise inside its 3 to 6 percent target range in the medium term.

Largely due to easing inflation, the central bank cut its main lending rate by 100 basis points to 10 percent in December 2009, bringing cumulative rate reductions to 500 basis points since December 2008.