Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said food price stability kept inflation low and under control at 0.21 percent in May 2018.

Sri Mulyani said inflation in May or in early Ramadhan was relatively low compared with in the same period in previous years.

Therefore, she expressed appreciation for the coordination between the government and Bank Indonesia, which have succeeded so far in keeping the inflation at low level to maintain the purchasing power of the people.

"We are pleased to welcome Ramadan and Ied ul Fitr with inflation of only 0.21 percent. Last year inflation ahead of Ied ul Fitr was almost 0.5 percent," the minister said.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) recorded inflation in early Ramadan at 0.66 percent in June, 2016 and 0.39 percent in May 2017 .

Year-on-year (yoy) inflation in June 2016 was 3.45 percent and 4.33percent in May, 2017 as against only 3.23 percent in May, 2018.

Sri Mulyani said she hoped the inflation would remain low and under control until the end of this year that the target of 3.5 percent yoy would be reached this year.

"We keep the achievement and condition that we eould achieved this year`s inflation target of 3.5 percent," sshe said.

She warned that although in general food prices had been successfully controlled in May, increases were recorded in the prices of a number of food commodities such as the prices of meat, eggs , red onion and fresh fish.

The prices of commodities that declined ahead of ied ul fitr included those of red chili, garlic and rice contributing to keeping inflation low.

(T.SYS/C/H-ASG/B/F001)

Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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