Zimbabwe inflation at 2200000%


New bank notes have been issued to cope with soaring prices


Zimbabwe's annual rate of inflation has surged to 2200000% official figures have shown.
The figure is the first official assessment of prices in the troubled African nation since February when the rate of inflation stood at 165000%.
Zimbabwe once one of the richest countries in Africa has descended into economic chaos largely blamed on the policies of President Robert Mugabe.
Mr Mugabe was re-elected last month in a controversial one-man race.
The opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) pulled out of the run-off election saying its supporters were being attacked and killed.
This situation is not sustainable. There's going to be some sort of implosion


Rejoice Ngwenya economist



Rising costs are forcing retailers to increase prices a number of times a day for goods purchased with billion dollar bank notes and the number of people falling into poverty is on the rise.
In May the central bank issued a 500m Zimbabwe dollar banknote worth US$2 at the time of issue to try to ease cash shortages amid the world's highest rate of inflation.
This is in stark contrast with the situation at independence in 1980 when one Zimbabwe dollar was worth more than US$1. Mr Mugabe denies that he is ruining the economy laying the blame on international sanctions he says have been imposed against Zimbabwe. The US and the EU have imposed targeted sanctions such as a travel ban and an assets freeze on Mr Mugabe and his close allies.