Small inflation rise to 0.07% recorded in February<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Inflation in February slightly increased to 0.07
\npercent from the previous month, but fell to minus 0.84 percent
\nwhen compared to the same month last year, the Central Bureau of
\nStatistics (BPS) said on Monday.<\/p>\n
BPS chief Sugito Suwito said that prices of several
\ncommodities continued to move upward, particularly due to the
\nweakening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar during the month.<\/p>\n
\"After the Idul Fitri holiday, prices of several commodities,
\nparticularly gold, continued to increase due to the fluctuation
\nin the exchange rate of the rupiah against the dollar,\" Sugito
\ntold a news conference.<\/p>\n
He said the rupiah weakened on news of a standoff between
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid and former armed forces commander
\nGen. Wiranto.<\/p>\n
Inflation in January jumped to 1.32 percent due to the
\nincrease in prices of most commodities as Indonesian Muslims
\ncelebrated the post-fasting month Idul Fitri holiday, which
\ncoincidentally occurred shortly after Christians celebrated
\nChristmas, and the New Year holiday.<\/p>\n
But Sugito said that prices of other commodities, particularly
\nfood, declined in February after the festivities were over.<\/p>\n
BPS reported that food prices declined 0.33 percent, cost of
\neducation, recreation and sports fell 0.12 percent and
\ntransportation and communications 0.13 percent.<\/p>\n
But the bureau said that prices of processed foods, beverages,
\ntobacco and cigarettes increased 0.08 percent, housing 0.47
\npercent, clothing and jewelry 0.98 percent, and the cost of
\nhealth care 0.44 percent.<\/p>\n
BPS said that inflation for the first two months of the year
\nwas 1.39 percent.<\/p>\n
The central bank forecast that inflation this year would be in
\nthe range of 5 percent to 7 percent depending on the size of the
\nplanned increase in several administered prices, including fuel
\nand electricity, and a rise in the salaries of government
\nemployees.<\/p>\n
BPS said that 22 major cities experienced inflation, and 21
\ncities experienced deflation.<\/p>\n
It said that Ambon, the capital of riot-hit Maluku province,
\nrecorded the highest inflation of 3.08 percent, and the town of
\nKediri in East Java enjoyed the lowest level of inflation at 0.04
\npercent.<\/p>\n
BPS said that the largest deflation level of minus 1.99
\npercent was seen in the oil and gas-rich town of Lhokseumawe in
\nAceh province, and the smallest deflation level of minus 0.01
\npercent was recorded in the East Java town of Malang.<\/p>\n
Sugito expected that inflation in March would fall on the back
\nof the start of the rice harvest.<\/p>\n
\"The usual cycle is that inflation will go up in January and
\nslightly up in February, but will fall in March,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Exports<\/p>\n
BPS also reported that exports in January declined 2.43
\npercent to US$4.36 billion from $4.47 billion in December.<\/p>\n
But the bureau said that exports jumped 44.65 percent if
\ncompared to the same month in 1999.<\/p>\n
\"There's an indication that export performance started to
\nimprove in January,\" Sugito said.<\/p>\n
He said that traditionally exports in January were lower than
\nin December, but the decline this year was less than last year's
\nfigure.<\/p>\n
He also said that improvement in the export performance was
\nalso related to the stronger import performance during the month,
\nparticularly the import of capital goods.<\/p>\n
BPS reported that imports in January reached $2.13 billion,
\nslightly down from $2.14 billion in December.<\/p>\n
But it added that imports increased 20.42 percent if compared
\nto the same month in 1999.<\/p>\n
BPS reported that non-oil and gas exports in January declined
\n3.31 percent to $3.24 billion from the level in December, while
\noil and gas exports increased 0.21 percent to $1.12 billion.<\/p>\n
The bureau said that export in the January-December 1999
\nperiod reached $48.65 billion, or a 0.4 percent decline compared
\nto the same period in 1998.<\/p>\n
BPS reported that imports of consumer goods in the January-
\nDecember 1999 period totaled $2.48 billion, or an increase of
\n29.48 percent from the same level in 1998.<\/p>\n
It said that imports of raw materials in the same period fell
\n6.48 percent while imports of capital goods dropped 45.39
\npercent.<\/p>\n
Tourist arrivals declined 10.29 percent to about 292,000 in
\nJanuary from 326,000 in December, the bureau said.(rei)<\/p>",
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