The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) has not published official data on inflation (national consumer price index), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and shortage of products in the past seven months.

This means the BCV has been breaking its own law, which provides that official economic figures must be published within the first days of each month.

Recently, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) dismissed a lawsuit brought against the President of the BCV, Nelson Merentes, by NGO Transparencia Venezuela urging him to publish official figures.

The BCV also failed to disclose overall inflation for 2014, which was expected to be published late in December 2014 or January 2015. This, in addition to the absence of numbers on food shortage, is another hurdle to business planning and potential investment in Venezuela.

El Universal