Comesa launches Harmonised Consumer Price Index monthly series

Today COMESA announced the launch of the publication of the COMESA Harmonized Consumer Price Index monthly series.

The HCPI is a macroeconomic measure of monetary inflation. It will reflect the COMESA region's price stability and allow for comparison of inflation across participating COMESA member States.

The (Interim HCPI-COMESA Bulletin) can be found and downloaded from the COMESA Secretariat website under "HOT TOPICS". For detailed HCPI tables click here.

COMESA region month on month inflation rose by 1.2% in April 2011
Consumer Prices in the COMESA region as measured by the Interim Harmonized Consumer Price Index (HCPI-COMESA) rose by 1.2% in April 2011 compared to their March 2011 levels.

Month on month inflation was 2.4% in March 2011
The Interim HCPI-COMESA comprises of ten divisions of expenditure. These divisions registered the following average changes in prices during the month of April 2011 compared with March 2011;

Food and Non alcoholic Beverages (+1.9%); Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (+0.5%); Clothing and Footwear (+0.1%); Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (+0.5%); Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (+0.4%); Transport (+0.5%); Communication (0.0%); Recreation and Culture (+0.5%); Restaurants and Hotels (0.0%); and Miscellaneous goods and Services (+0.3%).

COMESA Member States month on month inflation rates (%)
The participating Member States that contribute to the Interim HCPI-COMESA registered the following rates of total inflation in April 2011 compared to March 2011.

Burundi(+2.5%), Democratic Republic of Congo(+1.3%), Egypt (+1.5%), Ethiopia (-2.1%), Kenya (+3.1%), Madagascar (-0.7%), Malawi(-1.9%), Mauritius(+0.1%), Rwanda(+2.4%), Seychelles(+0.2%), Sudan(+1.3%), Swaziland(+1.1%), Uganda(+3.0%), Zambia(-1.6%) and Zimbabwe(-0.5%).