Wednesday, June 23, 2010

News update S'pore inflation hits 3.2%


Singapore's inflation hit a 14-month high in May due largely to higher transport and housing costs. --ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Monetary Regimes And Inflation: History, Economic And Political Relationships
SINGAPORE'S inflation hit a 14-month high in May due largely to higher transport and housing costs.
The consumer price index (CPI) climbed 3.2 per cent from a year ago, according to data released by the Singapore's Department of Statistics on Wednesday.
This is more than the 3 per cent median estimate of 11 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Seasonally adjusted, prices rose 0.6 per cent from April.
In the first five months, the CPI was 1.8 per cent higher than the same period last year.
Transport costs surged 15 per cent from a year ago due to higher prices of cars and petrol.
Housing cost went up 1.6 per cent because of higher electricity and gas tariffs, as did food prices which climbed 1.3 per cent.