Sri Lanka nation-wide inflation steady at 4.2 pct in December

Jan 23, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s consumer prices as measured by National Consumer Price Index rose at a steady pace of 4.2 percent in December from the 4.1 percent reported a month ago, data from the state statistics office showed. The Department of Census and Statistics said the NCPI has been calculated as 118.

0 for December 2016. This shows an increase of 1.4 index points or a percentage of 1.



2 compared to the previous month’s (November) index of 116.6. “This monthly change was due to the increase of expenditure value of food items by 1.



25 percent and decrease of expenditure value of non-food items by 0.08 percent,” statistics office said. “In December 2016 contribution to the inflation from food group and non-food group are 1.06 percent and 3.18 percent respectively.” The increase in expenditure value of food commodity group in December compared to that of November was due to the price increases in rice, coconut, fresh fish, big onions, potatoes, papaw, vegetables, eggs, coconut oil, green chilies and beef. The decrease in expenditure value of non food commodity group in December compared to the preceding month was due to the expenditure value decreases in groups of ‘Alcoholic beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics’, ‘Recreation and Culture’ and ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other fuels’.