Food fuelled March inflation
Stabroek News
April 23, 2004
Overall price levels increased by a further 0.8% in March, a total increase of 1.7% since the start of the year.
The increase was again driven by an overall rise in the food group of one per cent, a statement by the Bureau of Statistics said. The increase in this group was a result of upward movement in the prices of cereals and cereal products by 0.1%, meat, fish & eggs by 0.3%, oils & fats by 0.2%, condiments & spices by 0.9%, vegetables & vegetable products by 6.8%, fruits and fruit products by 2.9% and non-alcoholic beverages by 0.3%.
The bureau said that the reduction in prices in the sub-categories of pulses & pulse products by 2.3% and milk and milk products by 0.5% did not reverse the overall upward trend in the food group.
Additionally, the housing group saw increases in prices by 1.1% of which rent and maintenance rose by 1.1%, fuel and power by 1.2% and in the furniture group by 0.3%. Cleaning materials, a subcategory, recorded an increase of 0.8% in prices, while transport and communication costs increased by 0.4%. Airfares went up by 0.4% and gasoline by 1.1%.