So, in which part of Belize was the cost of living at its highest during the second quarter of this year? Well, according to the Statistical Institute, the pockets of the Punta Gorda Town residents were the hardest by inflation, when compared to the rest of the country.
Statistician Melvin Perez provided an overview to the media today as to why PG folks ended up having to pay more than everyone else for their everyday needs:
Melvin Perez - Statistician II
"The inflation rate for the month of July 2019 stood at -0.2% meaning that overall, the cost of regularly purchased goods decreased by 0.2, when compared to July 2018. The cumulative inflation rate for the first 7 months of 2019 remains relatively unchanged, with an inflation rate of -0.02, when compared to the same period of 2018."
"At the municipality level, Punta Gorda Town experienced the highest monthly increase in consumer prices, with an inflation rate of 2.5%. Consumers in this municipality saw an above-average increase for food items, liquified petroleum gas, home rental cost, and admission fee to a night club. Now, on the other hand, we see that Dangriga Town experienced the lowest inflation rates, with prices going down by 5%. Consumers in this municipality experienced significant decreases in home rental costs and out-patient medical services, such as surgery costs and lab fees."
As we said earlier, we intend to look at consumer prices by category, as well as the external trade picture in tomorrow's newscast.
Email
Print