Carstens: Mexico Needs to Implement Energy Reform ASAP

Mexico's landmark energy sector opening needs to be implemented as soon as possible, the country's central bank governor Agustin Carstens said on Wednesday, adding that the economy was growing but not as fast he would have liked.

Speaking at an event in Mexico City, Carstens said Mexico was on target to meet its inflation goals, noting that aggregate demand is not growing fast enough to push up prices.

He added, however, that certain economic data, such as industrial output, was not as strong as he might wish.

In a reform finalized last year, Mexico opened its hidebound oil, gas and electricity sectors to outside investment in the hope of kick-starting long-lagging growth in Latin America's No. 2 economy.

(Reporting by Dave Graham)