Inflation up to 4.3 per cent

Inflation rate has increased from 3.3 per cent in March to 4.3 per cent in April. According to last month’s consumer price index released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, last month’s all urban general index was established at 121.2 causing an increase of 1.34 per cent over the previous month which was 119.6.The principal statistician at NISR Oscar Sibomana said there was an annual change of 4.37 per cent compared to 3.25 per cent in the previous month. This gave a general inflation rate by an annual average of 5.2 per cent during the month of April 2013.The underlying inflation rate (excluding fresh food and energy) also increased by 0.71 per cent if compared to the previous month and increased by 5.19 per cent on annual change. The annual average underlying inflation rate was + 3.7 per cent in April 2013 up from the previous month 3.6 per cent.According to the report, the increase in the consumer price index of 1.34 is primarily due to the increase in food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.53), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.18) and transport (0.55).Rising prices The report also notes that the increase of 2.53 in prices of food and non alcoholic beverages is primariry attributable to the increase of 5.04 of vegetables.In annual change, the increase in the general index of 4.37 was mainly due to the rising prices of food and non alcoholic beverages (4.07), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.39) and education (35.18) which contributed +1.55 ; 0.50 and + 1.30 respectively.Also local goods increased by 4.48 on annual change with a monthly change of 1.50, while prices of the imported products increased by 3.96 on annual change with a monthly change of 0.68. The prices of the fresh products had a positive annual change of 0.04 between April 2013 and April 2012.