PPI slips 0.3 per cent yoy in August

KUALA LUMPUR: The Producer Price Index (PPI) for local production slipped 0.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in August 2018 compared to 0.7 per cent recorded in July, said the Department of Statistics (DoS).

“The sectors which decreased during this period were agriculture, forestry and fishing (-13.2 per cent), manufacturing (-1.7 per cent) and water supply (-0.5 per cent), while the indices for mining and electricity and gas supply had increased by 28.6 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively,” it said in a statement yesterday.

On a monthly basis, the PPI for local production declined marginally by 0.1 per cent in August 2018, mainly due to the decrease in the following indices – mining (-0.9 per cent), agriculture, forestry and fishing (-0.7 per cent) and electricity and gas supply (-0.2 per cent).

In contrast, the index for manufacturing rose 0.1 per cent, while the index for water supply remained unchanged, the department said.

Meanwhile, the PPI for local production by stage of processing (SOP) decreased 0.1 per cent in the same month due to the decrease in the indices for crude materials for further processing (-0.8 per cent) and finished goods (-0.2 per cent), whilst the index for Intermediate materials, supplies and components rose 0.3 per cent, it said.

DoS said the PPI for local production by SOP for August 2018 also eased 0.3 per cent y-o-y, due to the decrease in the indices for finished goods (-3.3 per cent) and intermediate materials, supplies and components (-1.4 per cent).

“Meanwhile, the index for crude materials for further processing grew 7.2 per cent,” it added.