Consumer Price Index up in March quarter

THE consumer price index for the March quarter this year  showed 3.1%, compared to 2.7% in last December quarter.
The CPI headline index also showed an annual change of 9.0% over 12  months from the first quarter last year  to the
first quarter  this year.
The quarterly change in the CPI for all towns showed Port Moresby with 4.8%, Goroka 1.9%, Lae (0.6%), Madang (4.4%) and Rabaul (1.0%).
The quarterly change in the CPI by major expenditure group showed:
.   Food groups – 2.3%;
.   Drink, tobacco and betelnut – 4.1%;
.   Clothing and foot-wear group – 3.0%;
.   Rent, council char-ges, fuel and power – 7.7%;
.  Household equipment and operations – 1%;
. Transport and communication – 3.1%; and
.   Miscellaneous gro-up – 3.0%.
The underlying rate of inflation was 2.6% in the March quarter compared to1.0% in the December quarter last year.