Indonesia's full-year inflation in2009 will likely be below 4 percent as demand falls due to the global economic downturn, the Jakarta Post quoted a minister as saying on Tuesday.

"I'm optimistic inflation could be below four percent year-on-year," the Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told reporters.

She said there were some demand pressures in December but the rate of rupiah per US dollar remains stable, helping to ease inflation.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) will announce the official figure of inflation in early January 2010.

Previously, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had said that the country's inflation in 2009 is expected to reach below 3 percent in 2009, the best inflation level in the last 20 years

Indonesia recorded inflation rate of 2.45 percent during January-November and year-on-year inflation of 2.41 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2009)