Over the first five months of this year, inflation in Tajikistan’s consumer goods sector has stood at 4.4 percent, which is 0.1 percent higher than in the same period last year, according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, the cost of products of the food industry over the reporting period has reportedly increased in Tajikistan on average by 6.5 percent, and an average monthly increase in food prices over the first five months of this year was 1.3 percent.
The increase in costs of products of the food industry was reportedly caused by the 3.8-fold rise in prices for carrots; a 24.2-percent increase in prices for vegetable oil; a 23.9-percent increase in prices for cooking (cotton) oil; cabbages – 23.7 percent; mutton – 15.8 percent; beef – 12.0 percent; potatoes – 10.4 percent; peas – 9.8 percent; chicken meat – 8.9 percent; apples – 8.8 percent; sugar – 8.5 percent; eggs – 3.2 percent.
In January-May this year, non-foodstuffs rose in cost on average 2.7 percent with the prices increasing most significantly for the following goods: gasoline – 41.5 percent; diesel fuel – 16.2 percent; liquefied natural gas (LNG) – 13.7 percent; building materials – 2.2 percent; and detergents – 1.5 percent.
Over the reporting period, prices and rates for services rendered to the population have increased by 1.1 percent. The ones that increased most significantly were: public transportation services – 1.5 percent; and household services – 0.2 percent.
Experts predict a further slowdown in consumer price growth provided that the pandemic situation improves.
Recall, the year-end inflation in Tajikistan’s consumer goods sector last year stood at 9.4 percent.
The government last year planned to curb inflation rate at 7.0 percent. Meanwhile, the World Bank predicted last year’s year-end inflation in Tajikistan at 10 percent.
In 2019, the year-end inflation in the country reportedly stood at 8.0 percent.
