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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the rising of prices is becoming more of a problem. In a new forecast for the global economy, the IMF says that limiting price rises should be a top priority for governments. Our economics correspondent Andrew Walker reports:
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The IMF says the global economy is in a tough spot, caught between sharply slowing growth in many developed economies and rising inflation everywhere. The agency's chief economist Simon Johnson said this is a very difficult moment for policy makers in almost every country. The IMF is becoming increasingly concerned about inflation.
Mr Johnson said the acceleration of price rises is a serious negative development. It's partly due to the rising food and energy prices, especially oil. But the IMF says that economic policy in some developing countries is also a factor.
The report predicts a modest slowdown in growth in the developing nations and Mr Johnson says that unless they take action to prevent inflation rising further the outcome could be substantially worse.
Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent
Listen to the words
a tough spot
a difficult situation
inflation
the rising of prices so that money becomes less valuable
policy makers
the people who are responsible for making political and economic decisions for a country
increasingly concerned about
more and more worried about
a serious negative development
something very bad which has happened
a factor
something which should also be considered
a modest slowdown
a slight decrease in the speed of something
the outcome
the result
substantially worse
much worse
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/07/080718_inflation.shtml
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