BCI mostly increased in December 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: The Building Material Cost Index (BCI) for all categories (without steel bars) in Peninsular Malaysia for regions A, B, C, D and E have increased between 0.1 per cent and 1.0 per cent in December 2018, says the Statistics Department.

Region A comprises Penang, Kedah and Perlis; region B (Perak); region C (Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor); region D (Johor) and region E (Pahang).

The department in its ‘Special Release 2 for Building and Structural Works, December 2018’ released today said in contrast, the BCI in region F (Kelantan and Terengganu) decreased between 0.1 and 0.2 per cent except for timber building and timber piling, which increased between 1.0 and 1.2 per cent respectively compared with the previous month.

“The BCI (with steel bars) in regions D and E increased between 0.1 and 1.0 per cent in December 2018.

“In contrast, the BCI in regions A, B, C and F showed decreases except for timber building and timber piling which increased between 0.9 and 1.0 per cent, respectively, compared with the previous month,” said chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin yesterday.

For Sabah, the BCI (without steel bars and with steel bars) for almost all categories of building materials in all regions increased between 0.1 and 1.0 per cent in December 2018, compared with the previous month.

Meanwhile, Sarawak’s BCI ( without steel bars and with steel bars) for all categories of building materials in Kuching increased between 0.1 and 0.4 per cent in December 2018 against the previous month.

“The BCI in Sibu and Miri remained unchanged compared with the previous month,” the department added.