The low inflation rate in February was fueled by a 0.09 percent decline in food prices and a 0.01 percent drop in cloth prices.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s inflation rate slowed to 0.13 percent in February from 0.89 percent a month earlier, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said.
The low inflation rate in February was fueled by a 0.09 percent decline in food prices and a 0.01 percent drop in cloth prices, BPS Chief Rusman Heriawan said here on Tuesday.
"Food stuffs saw deflation for the first time in four years in February. Usually they contributed the biggest to the inflation rate," he said.
Housing, water and electricity meanwhile contributed 0.09 percent and processed food, beverage, cigarette and tobacco 0.08 percent to last month`s inflation, he said.
As such, the calendar year inflation rate until February 2011 was 1.03 percent, he said.
Forty of 66 cities surveyed by the BPS contributed to the inflation and 26 saw deflation last month, he said.
Singkawang recorded the highest inflation of 1.75 percent and Sukabumi the lowest inflation of 0.01 percent, he said.
He said the highest deflation of 0.8 percent was recorded in Sumenep.
Overall, the inflation rate was 6.84 percent and core inflation, which excludes volatile food prices 4.36 percent year-on-year in February, he said.
"But the core inflation in February was 0.31 percent or higher than the general inflation of 0.13 percent. Normally, the core inflation is lower than the general inflation," he said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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