Director General of Census and Statistics, issuing the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), for the month of October said contributions to the inflation in October 2018 from food group and non-food group are -3.04% and 3.10% respectively. Contributions of these two groups to the inflation in October 2017 were 6.4% and 2.4%, resulting in headline inflation of 8.8%.
The decreases in expenditure value of food items were reported for fresh fish, eggs, coconuts, papaw, potatoes, dried fish, chicken, big onion, coconut oil and wheat flour. However, increases in expenditure value in index were reported for limes, vegetables, rice, sugar, banana, bread (normal), cinnamon, pineapple, green chilies, tamarind, Jak and Jak seeds and garlic.
The increases in expenditure value of non food items in October 2018 compared to the previous month was due to the expenditure value increases in groups of ‘Transport’, ‘Miscellaneous Goods and Services’, ‘Alcoholic beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics’, ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’, ‘Restaurants and Hotels’ and ‘Clothing and Footwear’.
Further, the group of ‘Furnishings, Household equipment and Routing household maintenance’ recorded very slight expenditure value increase compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the expenditure value of ‘Health’, ‘Communication’, ‘Recreation and Culture’ and ‘Education’ groups remained unchanged during the month, the Department of Census and Statistics stated.
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