colombo may 31 reuters  sri lankas key inflation rate eased to 252 in may from 353 in april the statistics department said on wednesday reducing some stress on the crisishit economy soaring inflation has battered the economy for more than a year after a severe foreign exchange crisis set off the indian ocean islands worst financial crisis in seven decades the colombo consumer price index lkccpieci ccpi reflected a reduction in food inflation to 215 in may from 306 in april while nonfood inflation reached 27 the census and statistics department said in a statement coming off a high base is helping sri lankas inflation reduce rapidly and we expect this to continue in the coming months said dimantha mathew head of research at first capital sri lanka is on track to hit singledigit inflation by september or perhaps even a bit earlier easing inflation is also likely to prompt the central bank to keep its policy rates unchanged thirteen of 15 analysts and economists polled by reuters expect the central bank of sri lanka cbsl to hold benchmark rates steady on thursday at the years fourth policy rate announcement set for 730 am 0200 gmt read more the figure for national consumer price inflation released with a lag of 21 days every month eased to 336 yearonyear in april the ccpi a lead indicator for broader national prices tracks inflation in colombo the biggest city