The Department of Economic
Planning and Development (JPKE), in its latest Brunei Economic Bulletin (BEB Q1
2012), revealed that prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages accelerated at
a rate of 1.4 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, down from 2.8 per
cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2011.
"The price of food and
non-alcoholic beverages grew by 1.4 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2012, from 2.8
per cent year-on-year growth in Q4 2011. This was mostly generated by a 9.9 per
cent year-on-year increase for the price of chicken," JPKE explained.
For non-food items, the average
inflation was 0.4 per cent year-on-year in the first quater, as compared to 1.8
per cent recorded in the quarter prior.
"In Q1 2012, the price of
clothing and footwear grew by 1.3 per cent year-on-year after a 3.8 per cent
year-on-year growth in Q4 2011. This was mainly attributed to the higher prices
of women's outer clothing (1.1 contribution to inflation)," the BEB said.
JPKE also said that the cost of
housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 0.1 per cent
year-on-year, down from a year-on-year growth of 1.1 per cent in the quarter
prior.
The price of materials for the
maintenance and repair of the dwelling rose the highest, by 3.6 per
cent-year-on-year.
"Between Q1 2011 and Q2
2012, the highest quarterly inflation was in Q3 2011, at 2.4 per cent
year-on-year, while the lowest rate of inflation in the five quarter period was
recorded in Q1 2012, when the rate was 0.7 per cent," the BEB said.
JPKE also said that in in the
first quarter of 2012, four major groups: health; education; communication and
transport; experienced a year-on-year decline by 1.4 per cent, 0.8 per cent,
0.7 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively.
"Other groups recorded a
year-on-year increase with recreation and culture showing the highest increase
at 3.3 per cent in Q1 2012," the statement said.
JPKE added: "Based on
contribution to inflation, food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed the
most at 0.3 pp (contribution to inflation)."
Recreation and culture came
second at 0.2 pp, followed by clothing and footwear and miscellaneous goods and
services at 0.1 pp each.
However, despite noticeable
year-on-year declines in the costs of Household Utensils (non-electrical) and
Other Household Textiles by eight per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively, the
overall cost of Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Household
Maintenance recorded a lower growth of 0.1 per cent year-on-year following a
0.4 per cent year-on-year growth in the fourth quarter of the previous year.
As for Restaurants and Hotels,
the cost rose by 0.3 per cent year-on-year from a 0.8 per cent, mainly as a
result of inflationary pressure in the Restaurant and Cafes sub-class, which
increased by 0.7 per cent.
The BEB also showed that the cost
of Health continued to fall by 1.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, after
a negative growth of 2.9 per cent in the quarter prior.
"The fall in the prices of
Medical Preparations and Patent Medicines, by 2.9 per cent year-on-year
contributed to the decline. Education cost also continued to fall by 0.8 per
cent year-on-year in Q1 2012 following a 1.8 per cent year-on-year decline in
Q4 2011. This was principally due to the drop in price of Primary Education
(1.9 per cent year-on-year)," JPKE said. Goh De No.
The Brunei Times
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