BUCHAREST: Romanian inflation quickened to 0.8 percent on the year in March against February's 0.4 percent, a touch above market expectations and sharply below a 1.5-3.5 percent target range, data from the National Statistics Board showed on Friday.

On a month-on-month basis, prices were 0.4 percent up in March, with food prices edging up 0.3 percent, non-food prices rising 0.6 percent and services up 0.2 percent.

The median forecast of a Reuters poll of analysts put inflation at 0.7 percent year-on-year at the end of March.

Analysts have estimated inflation at 1.9 percent at the end of December, although this will probably change as the leftist government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta will cut value added tax for foodstuffs from June 1.

Copyright Reuters, 2015