Fuel prices push up CPI to 7.7pc

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Sharp rises in petrol and diesel prices have pushed up the consumer price index to 7.7 per cent in June from 1.4 per cent in the same month last year.

The CPI was also higher by 3.9 per cent compared with May, the Statistics Department said yesterday.

The index for food and non-alcoholic beverages for June compared with the same month last month showed a higher percentage change of 10 per cent while the index for non-food surged by 6.7 per cent.

The month of June also saw increases in all the main groups except in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels which declined by 0.4 per cent, while communication remained unchanged at 96.8.

The 3.9 per cent increase in June is the result of a notable rise in the index for transport at 18.8 per cent due to a substantial jump in the index to 135.9 in June from 114.4 in May, the department said.

The 2 per cent increase in the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages in June compared with that of the previous month is the result of increase in the index for food at home (+2.1 per cent), food away from home (+1.9 per cent) and coffee, tea, cocoa and non-alcoholic beverages (+0.5 per cent).

Among food items which recorded notable increases in the June index compared with the previous month were tomatoes (+19.3 per cent), chicken eggs (+8.9 per cent), rice (+8.4 per cent), glutinous rice (+7.9 per cent), imported beef (+7.3 per cent), meehoon (+6.2 per cent), dried mee (+5 per cent), watermelon (+4.9 per cent), carrots (+4.8 per cent), chicken (+4.4 per cent) and wheat flour (+4.2 per cent).

The index of some food items declined in June compared with the previous month.

Among them are long cabbages (-9.6 per cent), choy sum (-8.5 per cent), ladies fingers (-5 per cent), French beans (-3.6 per cent), brinjals (-3 per cent), long beans (-2.4 per cent) and red grapes (-2 per cent).

A reclassification of items according to their durability and services rendered showed increases in the index for non-durable goods (+8.4 per cent), services (+0.6 per cent), durable goods (+0.4 per cent) and semi-durable goods (+0.2 percent).

The CPI for the first six months also increased by 3.7 per cent to 109 compared with that of 105.1 (two per cent) in the same period in 2007, it said.

The January-June period showed increases in the index for food and non-alcoholic of 6.1 per cent and non-food 2.6 per cent, it added.

-TMI