Consumer Price Index

AUGUST 2006

The Consumer Price Index for the month of August 2006 showed a decrease of 0.3, percent over July 2006. The All Items Index was 111.8 percent, compared with 112.1 percent in July 2006. The Point-to-Point Index stood at 2.5 percent.

Two groups in the basket of goods and services increased, two decreased and seven remained unchanged.{{more}}

The groups that increased were ‘Household Furniture & Supplies” (0.2 percent), and “Personal Services” (1.7 percent). Those that decreased were “Food” (0.5 percent) and “Fuel & Light” (1.0 percent). The groups “Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco”, “Clothing & Footwear”, Housing”, “Medical Care & Expenses”, “Transport & Communication”, “Education”, and “Miscellaneous” remained unchanged.

The marginal increase in the “Household Furniture & Supplies” sub index, resulted largely from higher prices of toilet paper (2.0 percent), electrical plugs (1.0 percent), and bed sheets (3.2 percent). The increase in the sub index of the group “Personal Services” is attributable to a 20 percent increase in the price for women’s hair dress.

Lower prices for vegetables – egg plant (26.6 percent), cucumbers (26.0 percent), sweet peppers (22.8 percent), carrots (14.9 percent), and tomatoes (6.1 percent) – were the main contributors to the decrease in the food group. In this sub index, turkey wings (6.2 percent) and full cream milk powder (1.8 percent) also declined.

Meanwhile, the lower fuel surcharge rate resulted in a 1.0 percent …. In the group “Fuel & Light”.