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Consumer prices reported up 1.5 percent in first 25 days of September

Consumer prices in Belarus increased by 1.5 percent in the first 25 days of September, reported the National Statistical Committee (Belstat).

Consumer prices thus rose by 16.3 percent since the beginning of the year.

According to Belstat, between September 1 and September 25, the highest increases occurred in the prices of wheat flour (3.9 percent), vodka (3.7 percent), vegetable oil (3.5 percent), butter (3.3 percent), eggs (3.2 percent), baby formula (2.7 percent), milk and dairy products (2.6 percent), prepackaged poultry meat products and canned meat (2.5 percent), live fish (2.1 percent), mayonnaise (two percent), salt (1.9 percent), candies (1.7 percent), semi-smoked sausages (1.3 percent), bread and bakery products (1.1 percent).

Higher education tuition fees rose by 24.8 percent and the price of hot water supply service by 22.4 percent. Women’s clothing and footwear rose in price by 1.7 percent and consumer services by 2.7 percent.
The prices of tomatoes increased by 16 percent, of bananas by 35.8 percent and of citrus fruits by 5.5 percent.

Carrots decreased in price by 20.5 percent, apples by 20.3 percent, beetroot by 16.6 percent, potatoes by 14.5 percent, bulb onions by 13.6 percent, and cabbages by 10 percent.
Last year saw an unprecedented inflation rate of 108.7 percent.

The government initially projected inflation to slow to 19 to 22 percent in 2012, but Alyaksandr Lukashenka suggested in February that the government should revise its inflation projection for the year downward to 13 to 15 percent.// BelaPAN