February Inflation Increases To 5.47 Percent, Triggered By An Increase In Cigarette Excise

Photo: Capture BPS Youtube Screen

JAKARTA The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that inflation based on the consumer price index (IHK) in February 2023 was 5.47 percent year on year (yoy). This figure is higher when compared to January 2023 which amounted to 5.28 percent.

Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics, BPS Pudji Ismartini, said this increase was triggered by the type of goods whose price was regulated by the government or administrative prices.

"The pressure on price components regulated by the government is higher than the previous month. The commodity of filtered kretek cigarettes and white cigarettes dominantly contributes to the inflation of this component as a follow-up impact of the increase in cigarette excise," he said at a press conference on Wednesday, March 1.

Pudji explained, month-to-month (mtm) inflation is 0.16 percent. Meanwhile, for the calendar year (year to date/ytd) inflation was recorded at 0.50 percent.

"The pressure on inflation for price components regulated by the government is still high," he said.

Meanwhile, core inflation, which describes real demand and supply in the field, was observed to fall to 3.09 percent in February 2023 from 3.27 percent previously in January 2023.

"The pressure on the core component inflation is still moderate on an annual basis," said Pudji.