THE Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin), in its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report indicated that the inflation rate recorded a movement of -1.6 per cent for the month of January. The rate in the previous month was 1.3 per cent.

Statin attributed the negative movement in the inflation rate to a 4.6 per cent decline in the heavily weighted Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index and a 0.8 per cent decrease in the index for Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels.

 

“The decrease in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division was due primarily to the 17.8 per cent fall in the index of the class Vegetables, Tubers, Plantains, Cooking bananas and Pulses as a result of lower prices for some agricultural produce such as tomato, lettuce, sweet pepper and cabbage,” Statin said in their news bulletin on Monday last.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-observer/january-records-negative-movement-in-inflation-rate_214927