"In 2013, it was seen that the increase of fuel oil prices during mid-year had a major impact on the national inflation rate and also impacted the prices of commodities and other services," BPS Head Suryamin said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Gasoline was the largest contributor to the countrys inflation in 2013, which was recorded at 8.38 percent, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

"The goods and services that had a major impact on the inflation in 2013 include gasoline contributing 1.17 percent, city transportation at 0.75 percent, and shallots and electricity at 0.38 percent respectively," BPS Head Suryamin noted here on Thursday.

He reported that the other commodities were red chili contributing 0.31 percent, fresh fish at 0.3 percent, rice, cooked rice, side dishes, and house rent at 0.2 percent respectively, air transportation at 0.18 percent, and non-foreman worker wages and household fuels at 0.16 percent respectively.

"In 2013, it was seen that the increase of fuel oil prices during mid-year had a major impact on the national inflation rate and also impacted the prices of commodities and other services," remarked the BPS chairman.

In 2012, the inflation was recorded at 4.3 percent, with major contributors being rice at 0.3 percent, fresh fish at 0.22 percent, gold ornaments at 0.2 percent, filter clove cigarettes and transportation at 0.19 percent respectively.

But based on the spending category in 2013, food commodities group was the largest contributor to inflation at 2.75 percent, transportation, communications, and financial services group at 2.36 percent and the group of housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuels accounting for 1.48 percent.

It was followed by the group of processed foods, drinks, cigarettes, and tobacco contributing 1.34 percent, education, recreation and sports group at 0.26 percent, health accounting for 0.15 percent, and garments at 0.04 percent.

Overall, the highest rate of inflation in 2013 reached 3.29 percent in July, a month after the government hiked the price of subsidized fuels, with gasoline being the largest contributor followed by city transportation and shallots.

In the meantime, the highest deflation in 2013 occurred in September, when deflation was recorded at 0.35 percent, with shallots, inter-city transportation, cayenne, eggs, and air transportation being the major contributors.

The 2013 inflation rate is higher than the assumed rate of 7.2 percent set in the Revised 2013 State Budget. The government had even forecast that the inflation in 2013 would reach 9.2 percent year-on-year.

The central bank or Bank Indonesia has forecast the inflation rate to reach between 9.0 percent and 9.8 percent year-on-year, based on the assumption that the rise in fuel price will have an impact for more than three months.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014