OREANDA-NEWS. Loan interest rates in Latvia still remained the highest in the Baltic countries in August, according to the Central Statistical Bureau's (CSB) data.

Average interest rate on short-term loans was 11,1 percent, compared to 7,8 percent in August 2006, whereas interest rate on long-term loans was 16,6 percent, compared to 10,8 percent last August.

In Lithuania, average interest rate on short-term loans was 6,8 percent in August (5 percent in August 2006), whereas average long-term loan interest rate was 9,1 percent (5 percent last year).

The respective figures for Estonia in August were 6,4 percent for short-term loans (5,3 percent in August 2006) and 8,4 percent for long-term loans (8,2 percent a year ago).