(Adds more comments, background) BUDAPEST, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Hungary’s central bank is determined to curb price growth as a jump in inflation poses a threat to economic recovery, Deputy Governor Barnabas Virag said in an interview published on Thursday. The comments come after data on Wednesday showed that Hungarian headline inflation picked up to an annual 4.9% in August from 4.6% in July, exceeding analysts’ forecasts. “We cannot sit back,” Virag told business newspaper Vilaggazdasag, adding that inflation was expected to peak again in the autumn months after June’s annual headline figure of 5.3%. “Our goal is unchanged: we want to be among the first to restore price stability.” The National Bank of Hungary delivered its third 30-basis-point hike in August to take the base rate to 1.50%. Analysts expect rate hikes to continue, although some said the pace of tightening could ease. The bank’s next rate-setting meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21, when it will also issue fresh GDP and inflation forecasts. Virag said the forecast would be a “milestone”, as it would let the bank assess the impact of policy tightening until now and decide on next steps. The bank targets 3% headline inflation with a tolerance band of a percentage point on either side. Virag said inflation was expected to return to the tolerance range in early 2022 before sinking close to 3% in the second half of the year. A timely tightening cycle could help emerging economies such as Hungary cut their vulnerability to tapering steps by global central banks, he added. “We have started rebuilding monetary policy defences in time ... we need to carry on,” he said. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.