INFLATION IN DECEMBER AT 0.57 PERCENT

          Commodity prices in December 2011, in general, show an increase. Based on result of survey of the National Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 66 cities in December 2011, inflation occurs at a rate of 0,57 percent or there is an increase of Consumer Price Index (IHK) from 129.18 in November 2011 to 129.91 in December 2011. Inflation rate by calendar year (January – December) 2011 and inflation rate year-on-year (December 2011 against December 2010) reaches 3.79 percent, respectively.

              Inflation occurs as a result of price increase as reflected from increase of all expenditure indexes, namely foodstuff group. 62 percent; index of ready-to-eat food, beverages, cigarettes, and tobacco group by 0.50 percent; index of housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel group by 0.28 percent; index of clothing group by 0.20 percent; index of health group by 0.17 percent; index of education, recreation, and sports group by 0.07 percent; and index of transportation, communication, and financial service group by 0.14 percent.

            Commodities which experience price increase in December 2011 are, amongst other, red chili pepper, cherry tomatoes, purebred chicken meat, fresh fish, purebred chicken eggs, tomatoes, fee of non-supervisory construction worker, air transport tariff, mustard green, carrot, cayenne pepper, oily cookies, rice and side dishes, beef rending, clove cigarettes, filter clove cigarettes, white cigarettes, cement, tariff of house rent, housemaid salary, and jean trousers.

            While, commodities which experience price decrease are: gold jewelry, red onion, string beans, French beans, potatoes, cucumber, sweet corn, garlic, and gasoline.

            Commodity groups which contribute to inflation in December 2011 are: foodstuff group 0.37 percent; ready-to-eat food, beverage, cigarette, and tobacco group 0.09 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel group 0.07 percent; health group 0.01 percent; education, recreation, and sports group 0.01 percent, and transportation, communication, and service group 0.02 percent. While, clothing group is relatively stable this month.

            Foodstuff group in December 2011 experiences inflation at 1.62 percent or increase of index from 150.33 in November 2011 to 152.76 in December 2011.

            From 11 sub-groups under the foodstuff group, 9 sub-groups experience inflation while 2 sub-groups experience deflation. Sub-groups which experience the highest inflation are condiment sub-group at 3.96 percent, and the lowest inflation is experienced by preserved fish sub-group at 0.13 percent. While, sub-groups which experience deflation are oil and fat sub-group and legume sub-group at 0.12 percent and 0.02 percent, respectively.