Sultanate’s inflation up 0.9 pc in June

MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s monthly CPI based inflation registered a 0.90-per cent increase in June 2016, compared with May while year on year inflation went up by 1.53 per cent in the same month, according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Among the major sets that make the consumer basket, the foods and non-alcoholic beverages set with an index weightage of nearly 24 per cent witnessed price rise of 0.80 per cent in June while the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels set with a 26-per cent weightage remained unchanged in June compared with the previous month.

Bread and cereals, meat and milk, cheese and eggs subsets recorded price fall of 1.12 per cent, 0.19 per cent and 0.20 per cent respectively, while oil and fats; and sugar, jam, honey and confectionery subsets showed a decline of 0.55 per cent and 0.20 per cent respectively.

Non-alcoholic beverages went down by 0.10 per cent, while prices of other food products fell by 0.18 per cent.

Fish and seafood prices went up by 6.85 per cent along with fruits with a price hike of 0.12 per cent. Vegetables turned costlier by 4.49 per cent in June compared with May.

Furnishings, household equipment and routing household maintenance declined by 0.43 per cent, even as health set remained unchanged.

Transport prices rose by 4 per cent, while communication and education sets registered zero inflation. Recreation and culture felt a marginal 0.01 per cent inflationary pressure, while restaurants and hotels prices fell 0.08 per cent. Prices of miscellaneous goods and services rose 0.03 per cent in June compared with May, the NCSI report said.