Seasonally higher shoe and clothes prices pushed the retail price index up 0.41 per cent last March, according to monthly figures issued by the National Statistics Office

The 12-month moving average inflation rate last month was also significantly higher than the annual inflation rate – 2.61 per cent against the 1.98 per cent annual figure.

The NSO figures indicated a 0.89 per cent increase in the transport and communication index and a 0.35 per cent rise in the beverage and tobacco index. There were other slight increases in the health and housing indices.

Cheaper vegetables meant the food index registered a 0.67 per cent decline and discounted household appliances helped bring about a 0.25 per cent drop in the household equipment index.

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