April inflation eases to 5.1%

Data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) indicates that the average annual headline inflation eased to 5.1% in April from 6.2% recorded in March 2016.

The statistics at their offices in Kampala on Friday attributes the drop to a reduction in prices fruits and vegetables, energy, fuel and utilities (EFU) and core inflation.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the official measure of price movements in a basket of goods and services over a given period of time.

Vicent Nsubuga, Ubos Principal Statistician, attributed the reduction to food crop inflation to -4.2% from 0.8% as a result of a fall in prices of vegetables from 0.3% to 6.1% and that of fruits from 4.3% to 1.3%.

"Continued supply of fruits and vegetables onto the market led to the reduction in prices thereby contributing to the April inflation drop," Nsubuga said.

The annual core inflation which excludes food, fuel, electricity and metered water prices which are volatile to price changes also declined to 6.4% in April from 6.9% in March.

Nsubuga added EFU decreased to 6.5% from 7.1% that was recorded in March.  "EFU decreased due to a reduction of prices of imported fuel," Nsubuga said.