The annual rate of inflation for the month of April 2014 has increased to 7.8% compared to 7.7% for the month of March 2014.
Central Statistical Office Director of Census and Statistics John Kalumbi told a media briefing this morning that the marginal increase in inflation is as a result of an upward price movement of non-food items such as cement, motor vehicles and charcoal.
And Mr. Kalumbi has disclosed that Western province had the highest annual rate of inflation at 9.3 % followed by North Western province at 9.2% while Central province had the lowest annual rate of inflation at 6.2%.
A comparison of retail prices shows that the national average price of a 25Kg bag of Breakfast mealie meal increased by 1.1 percent from K 72.55 to K 73.37 between March and April 2014.
The national average price of 1 Kg dried Kapenta-Siavonga increased by 5.0 percent from 94.27 to K 99.01.
And Mr. Kalumbi has revealed that Zambia recorded an increase in trade surplus valued at K84 million in March 2014 compared to K55 million recorded in February 2014.
He said the increase in trade surplus is mainly attributed to a rise in traditional exports.
Central Statistics Office is mainly preoccupied with inflation. i think there are so many other issues they can report on on monthly basis.
These numbers don’t look accurate. People need to do the right thing here!
Can the Economists that enjoyed bashing Engineers last week please prove their worth and fix the economy, please.
Or at least they should tell us what is really going on with our economy.
The extent of inflation is a concern for the nation and we seem to be per-occupied with the constitution when there are many pressing needs which need attention. Lets help the Government work and reduce poverty and than put the constitution issues as a priority. I know we need it but it should not be a priority.
Ba Bishop sure. So this is what you do at church also, putting the Bible aside to serve your traditions right? Remember that the current constitution is extremely flawed. For example, the clause that allowed you to sue anybody in the circumstance of marital interference was done away with to accommodate the many in power who are guilty of this vice.
The constitution should have been resolved by now if the powers that be had kept to the timeframe. Instead they chose to become treacherous over the constitution much to the annoyance of even those who gave PF the benefit of the doubt.
What we need is the rule of Law and not the treacherous rule of Men!
I also beg to submit that the current economic woes are not as a result of the Constitutional debate but economic mismanagement by PF!
the true picture of inflation yet to be seen post fuel price increase
Fake figures. We are already in double digits. Fuel @ k10 plus cannot give 7.% of inflation. This john man is cheating the nation. Which school did he go to by the way? Its all fake, fake and fake.
You are right. Just more BUFI by this PF bunch of liars!
Just look at the prices now from last year. We don’t need a whole office of people to know how much our pockets are paining!