Inflation in Trinidad and Tobago Remains Unchanged.

• Trinidad and Tobago’s inflation rate for March 2024 was 0.8% according to the Central Statistical Office (CSO), which released its Consumer Price Index.
• The inflation rate remained unchanged from what was recorded in the previous period (February 2024/ February 2023), the CSO said in a statement. The inflation rate for the period between March 2022 and March 2023 was 7.3%.
• The CSO stated that the Index for Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages decreased from 147.9 units in February 2024 to 146.2 units in March 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.2%.
• Contributing significantly to this decrease was the general downward movement in the prices of fresh whole chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, cheddar cheese, table margarine, celery, fresh king fish, plantains, fresh carite and soya bean oil, the CSO stated.
• However, the full impact of these price decreases was offset by the general increase in the prices of grapes, hot peppers, oranges, melongene, bodi, ochroes, pumpkin, frozen whole chicken, parboiled rice and fruit drinks.
• A further review of the data for March 2024 compared to February 2024 reflected an increase in the sub-index for Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco of 1.1%. This period also showed a decrease in the sub-indices for Clothing and Footwear of 0.2%, the CSO stated.

(Source: Trinidad Express Newspaper)