The annual rate of inflation accelerated sharply to 2.6 percent in February as the federal government’s temporary tax break came to an end mid-month, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.
That marks a sizeable jump from the 1.9 percent increase seen in January, when Canadians saw GST and HST taken off a variety of household staples, common gifts and restaurant bills for the entire month.
February’s figures are well ahead of the consensus among economists polled by Reuters, which called for 2.2 percent inflation in the month.
StatCan’s consumer price index is based on final prices paid by Canadians, meaning sales taxes are included in the agency’s calculations….