Vegetable, fruits prices go sky high

Prices of vegetables, fruits, sugar and sweets, clothing, footwear and transport went sky high, according to the central bank report.
During the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, of the items under food and beverage group, price index of vegetables sub-groups increased by the highest rate of 46.6 per cent compared to the decrease of 13.4 per cent in the same period of a fiscal year ago, it said, adding that the year-on-year inflation — as measured by the consumer price index — has increased to 8.8 per cent in mid-June from 8.2 per cent in the same period a fiscal year ago.
Similarly, the price indices of fruits and sugar and sweets, which had increased by 10.9 per cent and 20.3 per cent respectively in the same period of a fiscal year ago, increased by 28.2 per cent and 23.4 per cent, respectively.
"The index of food and beverage group increased by 14.3 per cent and the index of non-food and services group increased by 4.3 per cent, respectively, the macroeconomic report based on the first 11 months of the last fiscal year 2010-11 revealed. "The indices of these groups had increased by 9.8 per cent and seven per cent, respectively in the same period of 2009-10."
Similarly, the price indices of tobacco products, restaurant and hotel and cereals grains increased by 15.3 per cent, 13.9 per cent and 10.4 per cent respectively compared to the increase of 9.8 per cent, 18.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent respectively in the same period a year ago.
"The price indices of milk products and egg and meat and fish increased by 16.9 per cent and 5.5 per cent respectively against the increase of 15.2 per cent and 11.3 per cent in the same period of a year ago, whereas the index of legume varieties, which had increased by 16.4 per cent in the same period of the previous year, decreased by 6.5 per cent.
Within the group of non-food and services, the price index of clothing and footwear increased by 14.7 per cent compared to an increase of 7.7 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The price index of transport, which had increased by 0.1 per cent in the same period of a year ago, increased by 11 per cent during the review period.
Similarly, the price index of housing and utilities, which had increased by 9.8 per cent in the same period of a fiscal year ago, increased by 2.8 per cent only, whereas the price index of communication, which had remained unchanged in the same period of the previous year, declined by 13 per cent.

Valley most expensive
KATHMANDU: Region-wise, the price index in Kathmandu Valley increased by 10.5 per cent followed by 9.9 per cent in Hills and 6.9 per cent in Tarai in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year. The respective growth rates were seven per cent, 9.8 per cent and eight per cent in the same period a fiscal year ago, according to the central bank.