Domestic PPI down 3.4 pct in February

KUALA LUMPUR: The Producer Price Index (PPI) for local production fell by 3.4 per cent year-onyear (y-o-y) to 106.7 in February 2018 compared to the same month a year earlier.

The Department of Statistics said sectors which had registered a decrease during the period included agriculture, forestry and fishing (-16.2 per cent) and manufacturing (-2.6 per cent).

However, the PPI for the following sectors increased y-o-y, namely mining (+3.1 per cent), water supply (+1.2 per cent) and electricity and gas supply (+0.8 per cent), said the department in a statement yesterday.

On a monthly basis, the PPI for local production decreased by 1.5 per cent month-on-month (m-o-m) due to the decline in mining (-6.3 per cent), agriculture, forestry and fishing (-2.5 per cent) and manufacturing (-0.8 per cent) sectors.

Meanwhile, the indices for the electricity and gas supply and water supply sectors increased by 1.1 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively.

The PPI for local production by stage of processing (SOP) decreased by 1.5 per cent m-o-m, due to the negative changes in the indices for crude materials for further processing (-4.8 per cent), finished goods (-1.4 per cent), and intermediate materials, supplies and components (-0.2 per cent).

On a y-o-y basis, the PPI for local production by SOP decreased 3.4 per cent, following the decrease in the indices for crude materials for further processing (-5.8 per cent), intermediate materials, supplies and components (-2.9 per cent) and finished goods (-2.1 per cent). — Bernama