Consumer Price Index, October 2009

Press Release No: 58

Date: 30 October 2009

The Consumer Price Index, which covers price changes in urban areas [Suva, Lami, Nausori, Lautoka, Nadi, Ba and Labasa], has weights derived from the Household, Income and Expenditure Survey of 2002/2003.

There have been two measures of inflation used in Fiji. One compares the average CPI over the past twelve months with the average CPI over the previous twelve months. The other, which is the one used in most countries, compares the CPI in the current month with the CPI in the comparable month of the previous year [ie. 12 months previously].

The average annual rate of inflation for the twelve months to October 2009 [i.e. comparing the average CPI for the 12 months to October 2009 with the average for the 12 months to October 2008] stands at 3.8 percent while the month – on-comparable - month inflation rate [compared with October 2008] stands at 6.3 percent.

The All Item Consumer Price Index [CPI] for the month of October, 2009 registered a decrease of 0.2 percent over September 2009 [124.7] and stands at 124.4.

Items that are deriving the sectional changes over the previous month are as follows:

Food: -0.6%
Lower prices were recorded for bakery products, cereals, fresh fish, preserved fruits, mineral water, yaqona, dairy products, fats and oils, coffee, milo, ovaltine, spices, confectionery and market items such as long green chilies, okra, local tomatoes, bele, pumpkin, potato, garlic, dalo, cassava, split peas and blue peas.

Alcoholic Drinks and Tobacco: -0.3%
Lower prices were recorded for some alcoholic spirits and warm beer.

Housing: +0.1%
Higher prices were recorded for house paints.

Heating and Lighting: 0.0%
No change was recorded in this section.

Durable Household Goods: +0.1%
Higher prices were recorded for electrical appliances, crockery, soft furnishing, jewellery and travel and sports goods.

Clothing and Footwear: 0.0%
Price changes were recorded in this section but these changes balanced out.

Transport: +0.1%
Higher prices were recorded for new vehicles, second-hand vehicles and service and parts.

Services: 0.0%
No change was recorded in this section

Miscellaneous: 0.0%
Price changes were recorded in this section but these changes balanced out.

If you want more detailed information on the Consumer Price Index, for October 2009, please contact the Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics at:

P.O.Box 2221
Government Buildings
Suva, FIJI
Tel: (679) 331 5822
Fax: (679) 330 3656

OR

On email: info@statsfiji.gov.fj

OR

contact Mr Peni Waqawai on Ph: 3315822 ext. 123.

The Consumer Price Index for November 2009 will be released on 30 November 2009.