Inflation edges up to 6.5 pct in May

Rising food and energy prices pushed Tanzania's year-on-year inflation rate higher to 6.5 percent in May from 6.3 percent the previous month, the statistics office said on Monday.

The food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate increased to 8.5 percent in May from 7.8 percent recorded in the previous month, the statistics office said.

"The rise of the annual inflation rate in May was caused by higher price increases in food and non-food items such as fuel," said Ephraim Kwesigabo, a director at state-run National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

"There have been higher increases in the prices of a number of non-food commodity items such as charcoal and cooking gas in the year to May."
The NBS said that month on month inflation was -0.4 percent from a 0.7 percent rise in April.

"The fact that the monthly inflation rate declined in May compared to April could be an indication that the inflation rate could decline in the coming months," said Kwesigabo.