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Annual inflation edged up slightly in February mainly because of the effects of stubbornly high rice prices, the Central Statistics Agency reported on Monday.

Rusman Heriawan, chairman of the agency, known as the BPS, said annual inflation in February rose to 3.81 percent from 3.72 percent in January.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation eased to 0.3 percent in February, down from 0.84 in January, bringing year-to-date inflation to 1.14 percent.

Although rice prices had started to stabilize, they were still the major contributor to the rise in annual inflation, Rusman said.

The peak rice harvest had shifted to March because of weather, he said.

“This affected the psychology in rice market, even though the rice supply was adequate,” Rusman said.

Inflation in February came in slightly lower than most analysts’ expectations, increasing confidence that the central bank would maintain its benchmark interest rate at the current rate of 6.5 percent at its policy meeting on Thursday.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Monday that the government was still optimistic that inflation this year would be lower than its 5.7 percent target.

Rusman said he remained optimistic that full-year inflation would come in at or below the government’s target, even though cumulative inflation in the first two months had reached 1.14 percent.

Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, chief an economist at the state-run Danareksa Research Institute, said inflation should slow in March and April because of the rice harvest.

“We may even see deflation in those months,” he said.

“The government is also unlikely to raise fuel and electricity prices,” Purbaya added.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said that the relatively mild inflation seen so far was proof that government policies were working.

“Moreover, distribution of sugar and rice in February was better than in the previous month. This contributed to the low inflation,” Hatta said.