Jamaicans were facing slightly lower rate of inflation in April than in the earlier months of the year as the consumer price index fell to 0.4 percent for the month, the lowest since the start of the year. This comes against increased taxation on a number of items beginning of April.
As the All Jamaica ‘All Divisions’ Consumer Price Index for April 2013 registered a 0.4 per cent rate of inflation., ‘Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages’, the heaviest weighted division in the computation of the index, recorded an increase of 1.0 per cent. This was due mainly to the upward movement in the prices for, ‘Fruit’,’ Meat’ and ‘Bread and Cereals’. This division’s rate was however moderated by a 1.6 per cent decline in the rate for the division ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’, the third heaviest weighted division in the Consumer Price Index Basket. This was the result of a reduction in the billing rate for electricity in April relative to March. All other divisions recorded increases lower than 1.0 per cent, with the exception of ‘Clothing and Footwear’, which increased by 1.1 per cent.
The other divisions that recorded increases were ‘Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco’ 0.7 per cent, ‘Furnishings Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance’ 0.7 per cent, ‘Health’ 0.2 per cent, ‘Transport’ 0.3 per cent, ‘Recreation and Culture’ 0.7 per cent, ‘Restaurants and Accommodation Services’ 0.4 per cent, ‘Miscellaneous Goods and Services’ 0.8 per cent, No movement was recorded for ‘Education and ‘Communication’ .
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica collects and collates the data and compiles them into three regions. All three recorded increases; Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area (GKMA) 0.7 per cent, Other Urban Centres (OUC) and Rural Areas each increased by 0.3 per cent.
The movement of prices reflected a calendar year-to-date increase of 3.2 percent.
