The Deputy Acting GGovernmen Statistician of Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) said in March 2019, the year-on year inflation rate has moved to 9.3%, from the 9.2% recorded in February 2019.
The monthly change rate in March 2019 was 1.2% compared with the 1.0% recorded in February 2019, he added.
The year-on-year non-food inflation rate for March 2019 was 9.7% same as the rate recorded for February 2019.
At news conference, David Combat noted that, “the year-on-year food infiation rate for March 2019 was 8.4%, compared with 8.1% recorded in February 2019, and the year-on-year non-food inflation rate (9.7%) is 1.3 percentage points higher than the food inflation rate (8.4%)”.
ln March 2019, the year-on-year inflation rate for imported items (11.1%) was 2.6 percentage points higher than that of (ocally produced items (8.5%).
According him, “the main “price drivers” for the non-food inf)ation rate were Recreation and Culture(14.1%), Transport (13.7%), Clothing and footwear (13.3%), and Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance (12.2%).
The “price drivers” for the food inflation rate were Coffee, tea and cocoa (13.0%), Mineral water, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices (11.1%), Fruits (10.2%), and Meat and meat products (9.1%)”.
Four regions (Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Western and Ashanti) recorded inflation rates above the national average and Volta region recorded the same inflation rate as the national average of 9.3 percent.
Upper West region recorded the highest year-on-year inflation rate of 11.4%, followed by Brong Ahafo region (10.2%), while the Upper East region recorded the lowest year-on-year inflation rate (7.9%) in March 2019.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
