UPDATE 1-Indonesia's trade deficit widens, inflation rate rises

* Posts $330 million Feb trade deficit

* Inflation accelerates to 5.90 pct in March

* Rupiah marginally firmer after data

JAKARTA, April 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia had another trade deficit in February and the inflation rate last month accelerated, underlining the challenges that face a new central bank governor and whoever replaces him as finance minister of Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The changes add to uncertainty over the management of the economy whose currency has been pressed down by record trade deficits while worries over inflation have made the government reluctant to tackle costly fuel subsidies that are digging a growing hole in the state budget.

Parliament last week approved Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo to become central bank governor in May, but there is still no word on who will replace him to become the third finance minister in as many years.

On Monday, the statistics bureau announced a trade deficit for February of $330 million, which was twice as large as forecast in a Reuters poll.

The last time Indonesia had a monthly trade surplus was September. The statistics bureau revised the January trade deficit to $70 million, from the $170 million it initially reported.

PRESSURE ON RUPIAH

The trade deficits have been a factor putting pressure on the rupiah, which in 2012 was emerging Asia's weakest currency, losing about 6 percent against the dollar.

Annual headline inflation in March was 5.90 percent, the highest level since May. The poll had forecast only 5.57 percent, and the figure one month earlier was 5.31 percent.

The central bank has kept its benchmark policy rate steady at a record low of 5.75 percent since February 2012. Bank Indonesia policymakers next meet on April 11.

Chua Hak Bin, economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore, said "The inflation surge is worrying. And while core inflation is better behaved, the inflation spike raises the risk of a Bank Indonesia rate increase at the next meeting."

The rupiah was marginally firmer at 9,735/9,737 per dollar as of 0432 GMT. Indonesia's benchmark stock index was 4,939.64, down 0.03 percent.

(Editing by Randy Fabi and Richard Borsuk)