Inflation Still 9.5%

There was no change in the rate at which prices of goods and services increases on year-on-year terms for August 2012. Year-on-year inflation, as recorded by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS)�s Consumer Price Index (CPI), stood at 9.5 percent in August 2012, the same as 9.5 percent recorded in July 2012. With the monthly rate for August 2012 recording -0.8 percent, the general price level declined by 0.8 percent between July and August compared to a rise of 0.7 percent between June and July 2012. Baah Wadie, a Deputy Government Statistician, who launched the August CPI newsletter, said the food and alcoholic beverages group recorded an average year-on-year inflation rate of 4.4 percent, 1.1 percentage points lower than the rate in July 2012 which stood at 5.5 percent . Mineral water, soft drinks and juices recorded 20.5 percent in the food group followed by coffee, tea and cocoa (14.1 percent); milk cheese and eggs (13.9); meat (10.7 percent); sugar, jam, honey, syrups, chocolate and confectionery (9.1 percent) and also bread and cereals (7.0 percent). The non-food group recorded a year-on-year inflation rate of 12.5 percent. Transport recorded the highest rate of 20.6 percent followed by alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics with 16.4 percent. Education followed at 15.8 percent; miscellaneous goods and services (15.3 percent); clothing and footwear (13.6 percent); furnishings, household equipment, etc (13.6 percent), as well as recreation and culture (12.5 percent). Inflation was low in the communication group at 1 percent. Health and recreation and culture groups recorded the highest month-on-month price change rate of 1.1 percent. On regional basis, the year-on-year inflation rate ranged from 6.2 percent in the Upper East and West regions to 11.1 percent in the Central region. Four regions � Central, Greater Accra, Ashanti and Northern � recorded inflation rates above the national average of 9.5 percent.