Jakarta - Indonesian exports in April fell 22.5 per cent from the same month a year ago to 8.46 billion dollars, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday.

Indonesia, South-East Asia's largest economy, had a trade surplus of 2.08 billion dollars in April because its imports dropped 45 per cent to 6.38 billion dollars, the bureau said.

Consumer prices rose 6.04 per cent in May from a year earlier, the lowest increase in 23 months, after climbing 7.3 per cent in April, the bureau said.

Slowing inflation might prompt Bank Indonesia, the central bank, to reduce its benchmark interest rate for a seventh month in a row in June to boost consumer demand.

Last month, Bank Indonesia reduced the prime lending rate by 25 basis points to 7.25 per cent, bringing it to its lowest level since July 2005.

Bank Indonesia forecast the country's economy would grow by 3 to 4 per cent this year with inflation expected to range from 5 to 7 per cent.

The economy expanded 6.1 per cent in 2008. (dpa)