AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Annual Headline Inflation Rate for the month of October, 2020 has remained stagnant at 3.1 per cent as it was recorded during the corresponding period in September, 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said.
According to NBS Director of Population Census and Social Statistics, Ruth Minja, the stagnation of the headline inflation explains that the speed of price change for commodities for the year ended October, 2020 remained constant as that recorded for the year ended September, 2020.
The overall index went up to 119.43 in October, 2020 from 115.84 recorded in October, 2019.
The Headline Inflation Rate measures inflation rate when all items in the fixed CPI basket are included.
“Annual headline inflation rate for the month of October, 2020 has remained constant as that of September, 2020. This is mainly attributed to the decrease and increase of prices for food and nonfood items for the year ended October 2020 compared to prices recorded for the month of October 2019,” she said.
She named some food items that showed price decrease as for the month of October, 2020 compared to October 2019 as rice by 4.2 per cent, maize grain (12.4) maize flour (3.2) wheat flour (0.9) sorghum flour (0.8) cassava flour (1.4), fresh cassava (2.5), sweet potatoes (5.4) and cooking bananas (6.3). On the other hand, some of non-food items that shows a price increase for the month of October, 2020 compared to prices for the month of October 2019 includes, clothing by 2.2 per cent, gas (6.6), charcoal (8.8), repair of travelling goods like motor vehicles (8.3) and furniture’s (1.4).
Ms Minja said non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate for the month of October 2020 has stagnated at 3.4 per cent as it was recorded in September, 2020.
In comparison with other East African countries of Kenya and Uganda, she said the annual inflation rate in Kenya for the year ended October, 2020 has decreased to 4.84 per cent to 4.20 per cent for the year ended September, 2020.
