Among other stories on the current wave of inflation, Hector Linares, writing for Saturday’s Listin Diario, reported that the increased cost of the dollar was the principle culprit. The impact of the exchange rate on the costs of goods and services pushed the inflation to 6.01% in November, placing the 11-month total at 37.55% for the year. This is more than two percentage points above the Central Bank projections for the entire year. In a press release, the Central Bank says the Consumer Price Index climbed 6.01% over October. This represents inflation of 40.05% for the November 2002 to November 2003 period. The Central Bank grouped food, drink and tobacco; transportation; and hotels bars and restaurants as the three areas responsible for 89% of the CPI increase.