November 7, 2016 By Patrick J.Karama
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September 2016, the prices of foodstuff and other commodities are increasing at a higher rate in all the regions in the country.
The release from Statistic Sierra Leone states that there was an increase in CPI from 172.41 percent in August to 174.15 percent in September, resulting in a 1.01 percent increase in inflation rate.
The release further notes that the national annual inflation rate for September increased slightly from 9.96 percent in August to 10.85 percent in September, making it relatively hard for the ordinary man.
The Southern region reportedly recorded the highest increase in inflation rate, moving from 8.84 percent to 10.4 percent, followed by Northern region, which jumps from 10.83 percent to 11.06 percent.
While they concede that the current monthly increase “is greater than the previous month, meaning that prices are increasing at a higher rate”, they bizarrely attributed the bad economic state of affairs to “an increase in the prices of educational materials across the country due to the re-opening of schools” plus the continuous slight depreciation of the Leones against the major international currencies, especially the US dollar.
Also, the release confirms popular apprehension about the prices of basic foodstuff, including rice, bread and cereals, meat, fish and seafood, which prices continue to increase across the country.