Consumer Price Index (CPI) upped by 3.3% in August after it's record high 4.1% increase in July?
Inflation Index is lowest in August (3.6%) since March 2006, from a high of 4.8% in March 2006??
Are we seeing configuration management or statistical interventionist adjustment?
What is the signal, my dear economist?The Statistics Department said the CPI increase in the first eight months of the year was brought about by increases observed in the indices of all the main groups except clothing/footwear and communication, which decreased by 1.2 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.
Price increases were seen for transport (12.1 per cent), food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.5 per cent) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.5 per cent).
Other increases were in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.7 per cent), restaurants and hotel (4.1 per cent), health (2.5 per cent), miscellaneous goods and services (2.5 per cent), education (1.5 per cent), furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance (1.3 per cent) and recreation services and culture (0.8 per cent).
CIMB Securities chief economist Lee Heng Guie expects the CPI to hover between 3.4 per cent and 3.5 per cent till the end of the year, mostly due to the high base effect.
CPI for the first eight months of the year rose 3.8 per cent compared with 2005's January to August period.
Singapore-based IDEAglobal economist Ramya Ramachandran said the latest inflation data was reflective of weakening domestic demand in Malaysia.Price increases were seen for transport (12.1 per cent), food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.5 per cent) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.5 per cent).
Other increases were in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.7 per cent), restaurants and hotel (4.1 per cent), health (2.5 per cent), miscellaneous goods and services (2.5 per cent), education (1.5 per cent), furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance (1.3 per cent) and recreation services and culture (0.8 per cent).
CIMB Securities chief economist Lee Heng Guie expects the CPI to hover between 3.4 per cent and 3.5 per cent till the end of the year, mostly due to the high base effect.
CPI for the first eight months of the year rose 3.8 per cent compared with 2005's January to August period.
Oh, BTW, Desiderata is also an economic weather forecaster...
1 comment:
mave sm:
And hopw does the lust line "Oh, BTW, Desiderata is also an economic weather forecaster..." come about?
No-lah, jest earningmy humble B&B writing some Biznews summaries--occasional offer 3sen UNworth K! Now one ~~~
I don't buy the Govt's line that the country's "inflation" rate (as indicated by CPI) is hoevring around 3.0 to 4.0%; in a really teruk year now in progress (2006), the Govt projected 4.1%!
But you chat with man--n-da-street, everyone complains his/her purchasing power with RM has gone down more in the region of 8% to 12%! Now, this is anecdoctal evidence only -- but when the story/feedback is WIDESPREAD, the blardy ministry/tries concerned had better check its methodology. Maybe the "basket of goods" covered by the Statistics Dept for CPI computation is OUTdated? Or some sectors are under-weighted?
Or mGf, some manipulation, like what they do to the Stock Market/s?
Your gas is as smelly -- fragrant IZZT? -- as mine, and Desi is NO eCONomist!:(
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