By Amin Kef Sesay
The institution that is charged with the responsibility of compiling statistical data in the country, Statistics Sierra Leone has released the 2019 Consumer Price Index.
According to the Report, Headline National Inflation Rate Annual national consumer price inflation (year-on-year) went up by 0.80 percentage point from 13.09 percent in November 2019 to 13.89 percent in December 2019. The monthly national consumer price inflation for December 2019 is 0.41 percent; up by 0.21 percentage point from 0.20 percent in November, 2019.
The national monthly CPI (2008=100) increased from 280.04 in November 2019 to 281.20 in December 2019 resulting to 0.41 percent inflation this month.
This is due to increase in the monthly inflation rate in three regions in December compared with November: Eastern region increased from -2.84 to -0.33 percent in December 2019 comprising Kenema –0.87 and Kono 0.17 percent; Northern region from -2.59 percent in November to -1.25 percent in December 2019 and in the Southern region from 0.17 percent in November to 0.58 percent in December 2019.
Western Area declined from 2.87 percent in November to 1.50 percent in December 2019. The national year-on-year inflation for December 2019 is 13.89 percent, which indicates an upward trend compared to 13.09 percent in November 2019.
Three regions show upward movements: the Western Area from 15.66 percent in November 2019 to 18.76 percent in December 2019; Eastern region from 17.14 percent in November 2019 to 17.19 percent in December 2019; Southern region from 10.62 percent in November 2019 to 11.84 percent in December 2019; while Northern region decreased from 8.21 percent in November 2019 to 5.43 percent in December 2019.
