The Sultanate's consumer inflation in February rose 2.38% year on year, mainly because of a 9.33% price hike in the transport set and 2.05% upswing in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel set.
According to a recent bulletin issued by the (NCSI), the foods & non-alcoholic beverages set logged a price decline of 0.10%, while clothing & footwear prices fell 0.37%. The health and communication sets too recorded a price fall of 0.13% and 3.02% respectively in February, as against prices for the same month of 2016.
The prices of other CPI product baskets registered a price increase. Tobacco products saw prices rise by 23.23%, while furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance set prices went up by 1.86%. Recreation and culture turned costlier by 0.50%. Education as well as restaurants & hotels sets experienced inflationary pressures of 2.85% and 0.30% respectively. Prices of miscellaneous goods and services went up 1.67% during the month.
Among the foods, bread and cereals prices fell 1.58%, while meat, and fish and seafood prices rose by 0.22% and 7.09% respectively. Milk, cheese and eggs, and oils and fats sets logged a price fall of 2.44% and 0.28% respectively. Fruits and vegetables too reported a price decrease of 2.88% and 0.31% respectively. Sugar, Jam, Honey & Confectionary set saw prices go up 0.33%.Prices of non-alcoholic beverages shot up by 0.53% in February as against last year.
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