BPS: August Deflation at 0.07 Percent
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that based on observations in 82 cities nationwide, it is found that generally there is a decrease in key commodity prices, including the expenditures of foodstuff and transport, communication and financial services, resulting in a deflation in August 2017 at 0.07 percent.
“The inflation rate for calendar year (January-August) 2017 is 2.53 percent and the year-on-year (yoy) inflation rate (August 2016 to August 2017) is 3.82 percent,” Head of BPS, Kecuk Suhariyanto, said in his statement to reporters at the BPS Head Office, Jakarta, Monday (4/9) afternoon.
According to Suhariyanto, the deflation occurred due to price declines as indicated by some expenditure group indexes, among others, foodstuffs by 0.67 percent while transportation, communications, and financial services by 0.60 percent.
In the meantime, expenditure groups that experienced an increase, according to the Head of BPS, are: the finished food, beverages, cigarette, and tobacco groups by 0.26 percent; housing, electricity, water, gas, and fuel by 0.10 percent; education, recreation, and sports group by 0.89 percent. “Some of the commodities that experienced price declines are: air transportation tariff, onion, garlic, fresh fish, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, dogfruit, potato, cooking oil, and inter-city transportation tariff,” Suhariyanto said.
Meanwhile, the commodities that experienced price increases, among others, are red chilli, salt, school fees for Elementary students, school fees for Senior High School students, chicken, eggs, grapes, apple, watermelon, rice with side dish, clove cigarettes, filter clove cigarettes, non-foreman worker wages, housemaid wages, gold jewelry, recreational tariffs, and mobile phone call rates,” Suhariyanto explained.
According to Suhariyanto, the highest deflation occurred in Ambon at 2.08 percent and the lowest in Samarinda by 0.03 percent. Meanwhile, the highest inflation occurred in Lhokseumawe at 1.09 percent and the lowest in Batam by 0.01 percent. (PR BPS/ES) (MUR/YM/Naster).
