As food prices moved up, a 0.3% increase in February was recorded in the consumer items monitored in the Urban (Georgetown) Consumer Price Index basket of goods and services.
According to a press release from the Bureau of Statistics, the 0.3% increase in prices “was primarily influenced by an overall increase in prices in the food group, the heaviest weighted category, of 0.4%.”
The release stated that the increase resulted from price hikes in the sub-categories cereals and cereal products by 0.1%, pulses and pulse products by 0.3%, meat, fish and eggs by 1.1%, fruits and fruit products by 2.8%, alcoholic beverages by 1.8%, non-alcoholic beverages by 0.8%, prepared meals by 1.0% and tobacco and tobacco products by 0.2%.
And although there were declines in the sub-categories milk and milk products by 1.0%, condiments and spices by 0.6%, vegetables and vegetable products by 0.5% and sugar, honey and related products by 0.1%, the overall price increase in the food group was not reversed.
Regarding other goods and services, retail prices in the housing group increased by 0.1%, the transport and communication group by 0.7% of which the subgroup airfares rose by 2.4%, the educational, recreational and cultural group and miscellaneous goods and services group each moved up by 0.1%.
But the furniture group declined by 0.2%, the release added.