Sri Lanka’s inflation stable at 0.1-pct in April

Apr 30, 2015 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's consumer prices rose 0.





1 percent in April 2015 from a year earlier, against the 0.1 percent recorded in March, the central bank said.



The Colombo Consumer Price Index accelerated 0.2 percent in the month, after recording a 0.4 percent negative acceleration in March. The Index gained 0.4 points in the month to close at 178.

5 points. Central Bank Press Release reproduced below:- Inflation in April 2015 Inflation, as measured by the change in the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI) (2006/07=100), which is computed by the Department of Census and Statistics, remained unchanged at 0.1 per cent as recorded in the previous month, on an year-on-year basis, in April 2015. Annual average inflation declined from 2.

5 per cent in March 2015 to 2.1 per cent in April 2015. CCPI increased by 0.2 per cent from March to April 2015. The increase in prices of items in the Non-food category during the month contributed mainly towards this increase.

Within the Non-food category, prices in the sub categories of Clothing and Footwear; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other Fuels; Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance; Health; and Miscellaneous Goods and Services recorded increases.

Prices in the sub groups of Recreation and Culture; Transport; Education; and Communication remained unchanged during the month. However, moderation of food prices during the month eased inflationary pressure in April 2015.

Prices of many vegetable varieties, rice, some varieties of fresh fish and dried fish, green chilies, red onions and coconuts declined in April 2015, compared to the prices prevailed in March 2015. Nevertheless, prices of chicken, beef, coconut oil, potatoes, limes, big onions and some varieties of fruits recorded marginal increases during the month.

Core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, increased to 2.

4 per cent in April 2015, from 1.4 per cent in March 2015 on an year-on-year basis.

Annual average core inflation declined to 2.9 per cent in April 2015, from 3.



0 per cent in March 2015.