Food Prices Spark Inflation in June

The National Statistics Agency (BPS) head Suryamin said that inflation in June 2016 was 0.66 percent with increase in food prices as a factor. In addition, increase in air fares had contributed significantly to inflation. “An 8.27 percent increase in air fares had contributed to 0.08 percent of inflation,” he said yesterday, July 3, 2016.

According to Suryamin, price hike occured in 38 out of 82 cities in the consumer price index (CPI) survey. Food commodity which contributed significantly to inflation was broiler chicken, which experienced price increase by 5.36 percent with 0.07 contribution to inflation. The increase occured in 74 out of 82 cities in the CPI. “Price increase occured due to price hike at the distributors,” he said.

Suryamin said that food commodity with third highest contribution to inflation was fresh fish. Price of fish soared by 2.15 percent with 0.06 percent contribution to inflation. Other cause of inflation was broiler chicken eggs with 5.86 percent increase in price and contributed 0.04 percent to inflation. Other commodity was sugar which price had risen by 6 percent since early Ramadan. Its contribution to inflation was 0.04 percent. “Potato and carrot also contributed to inflation,” he said.

Other commodities that contributed to inflation were rice, spinach, apple, electricity prices, gold and jewelries, and public transport fares, which contributed 0.02 percent each to inflation. Of 13 commodities that contributed to inflation, Suryamin said that only one had held back inflation. “The one that held back [inflation] was shallot,” he said.

Director General of Horticulture, Agriculture Ministry, Spudnik Sujono has given his assurance that shallot and chili peppers supplies are safe until August.