October registers no change in inflation, stands at 4.5pc

Dar es Salaam. The rate of price increases stagnated at 4.5 per cent in October, thanks to a slight decrease in prices of food products, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced yesterday in Dar es Salaam.

This is the same rate that was recorded in September 2016.

“This means that the speed of price increase for commodities in the year ending October, 2016 has remained the same as that of the preceding month,” the NBS manager for Price and Statistics, Ms Ruth Minja said.

The inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages remained at 6.0 per cent for both months whereas that of the food consumed at home and away from home has slightly decreased to 6.0 in October, 2016 from 6.1 per cent in a month before.

This means that the headline inflation rate is on the decline, considering that it was quoted at 6.3 per cent in October, 2015.

However, the monthly headline inflation rate for the month of October, 2016 has increased by 0.1 per cent compared to a decrease by 0.2 per cent recorded in September, 2016.

As a result, the overall index rose to 103.17 in October, 2016 from 103.05 recorded in September, 2016, attributable to price increase of both food and non-food items.

Some food items that contributed to the increase include fresh fish, cassava, maize grains, groundnuts and beans.

Similarly, some non-food items that contributed to price increase include monthly rentals paid by tenants and charcoal.

During the period the inflation rate for Kenya increased to 6.7 per cent and Uganda has decreased to 4.1 per cent.