VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A regional inflation control team monitors cooking oil prices in Polman district. (ANTARA Foto/ M Faisal Hanapi) - 

Based on its latest survey, Bank Indonesia (BI) has predicted that the country will record an inflation of 0.54 percent in March 2022.  

The inflation forecast has pegged year-to-date inflation at 1.1 percent and year-on-year inflation at 2.54 percent.  

Until the third week of March 2022, inflation was chiefly contributed by red chili (0.1 percent) as well aspurebred chicken eggs, gold jewelry, and household fuels (0.05 percent each), executive director and chief of BI’s Communication Department, Erwin Haryono, said in a statement released on Friday.

Bird-eye chili and purebred chicken meat each contributed 0.04 percent, while tempeh and detergent each contributed 0.03 percent to inflation.

Inflation was also fueled by a 0.02-percent increase in the prices of onion, raw tofu, orange, beef, and air transport fare, and a 0.01-percent increase in the prices of garlic and filter cigarettes.

Meanwhile, a decline in the prices of cooking oil and tomato contributed 0.06 percent and 0.01 percent, respectively, to deflation.

BI said it will keep coordinating with the government and relevant authorities to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on the national economy//ANT