THE nation’s consumer price index is expected to rise by about 1.4 percent next year, a think tank expert said in a report in Shanghai Securities News on Saturday, a reflection of deflationary pressure.

    Reflecting lackluster demand and over capacity, September inflation was cooler than expected, prompting fears of deflation as the world’s second-largest economy cools.

    Sheng Xuping, an expert at the government think tank the State Information Center, expects consumer price inflation to rise 1.4 percent this year, far below the government’s 3 percent target for the year, with the same percentage increase next year.

    (SD-Agencies)