Price fall cools Nov inflation

The point-to-point inflation in the country has seen a downward trend since July last due to a decline in prices of food and some non-food items, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data has revealed.
The inflation was recorded at 6.21 per cent last month, shows the BBS data released by Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday in the city.
In July last the inflation was recorded at 7.05 per cent.
Then it started falling every month subsequently.
The point-to-point inflation fell in November last due to the decrease in prices of food and some non-food items, said Mr Mustafa Kamal.
The BBS data has shown that the inflation rate in the last month was at its 25-month low from 6.55 per cent, recorded in November 2012. It was showing a volatile trend in the previous 25 months till October last.
Except for four months during the 25-month period from November 2012 to November 2014, the inflation did not fall below the 7.0 per cent mark. It picked up to hit as high as 8.37 per cent in April 2013, BBS officials said.
The point-to-point inflation last month dropped by 0.84 percentage points to 6.21 per cent from 7.15 per cent in the corresponding period of last year.
The inflation also decreased by 0.39 percentage points from the 6.60 per cent in the previous month of October last, the BBS data shows.
The average inflation in the last one year (Dec 2013-Nov 2014) also fell to 7.10 per cent from 7.52 per cent in the corresponding period of last year, the BBS claims.
According to the BBS data, the inflation calculated on the point-to-point basis for food items in November last was lower at 6.44 per cent. In the previous month it was recorded at 7.16 per cent.
The non-food inflation, however, went up slightly to 5.84 per cent last month. In the previous month it was recorded at 5.74 per cent, the BBS data shows.
The general Consumer Price Index (CPI) inched up to 206.86 points on the point-to-point basis in November from 206.81 in the previous month.
According to the BBS, the point-to-point inflation in rural areas fell to 6.05 per cent last month. In October last, the rate was recorded at 6.49 per cent.
In urban areas the inflationary trend last month showed a downward trend as it dropped to 6.51 per cent. In the previous month it was recorded at 6.79 per cent.
Mr Kamal said they were hopeful of keeping the average inflation rate within the targeted range of 6.5 per cent to 7.0 per cent in the current fiscal year (FY) 2014-15.
Bangladesh was hard hit by the inflationary pressure in the FY 2010-11, when the point-to-point inflation hit the double digit mark from a cool 7.54 per cent in November 2010, BBS officials said.
Later, the point-to-point inflation was at its three-year low in September 2012, when it fell to 4.97 per cent after hitting its peak in the FY2010-11.
Mr Kamal also unveiled on Tuesday the point-to-point wage index for November last. It showed expansion of the wage rate in the last month compared to the same month last year.
Quoting the BBS data he said the growth in Bangladesh's general wage rate last month expanded at the rate of 10.32 per cent. In the corresponding month of last year the wage rate saw expansion at the rate of 9.09 per cent.
But when compared to the previous month of October last the growth in the November wage rate was slower. In October the rate was clocked at 10.77 per cent, the BBS data revealed.
The minister also released the Annual Development Programme (ADP) implementation rate on the day at the Planning Commission.
He said the government ministries and agencies spent 20 per cent or Tk 159.04 billion out of the total ADP outlay of Tk 803.15 billion.
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