Inflation eases to 4.36per cent

New Delhi, Aug 3: The inflation rate softened to 4.36 per cent for the week ended July 21, from 4.41 per cent for the week ended July 14.

The annual inflation rate was 4.72 per cent during the corresponding week last year, an official statement said here, today.

It managed to stay below the psychological barrier of five per cent for the ninth consecutive week.

Following the review of Central Bank's Monetary Policy; Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said the country's healthy banking sector will be able to absorb the marginal impact on profitability, owing to the measure to fight inflation.

''Banking sector has to bear (the CRR hike) and help fight inflation,'' he said.

UNI