Kasakhstan's Inflation and prices

In the structure of food-stuffs the most price increase was for eggs ?by 8.1%, milk ?3.4%, flour ?2.2%, bread ?1.3%. However, the growth was compensated with the decrease in prices for fruits and vegetables ?by 5.7%, sugar ?2.8%.

Prices for non-food stuffs increased mainly as a result of a significant increase in prices for gasoline ?by 7.7% (since the beginning of the year ?by 14.7%). There was also an increase in prices for cloth, hygiene goods, newspapers, books and offices supplies ?each by 0.5%, footwear ?by 0.4%.

Among paid services to population a significant increase in prices was for education ?by 4.6%, in particular, for higher education ?by 10.1%. Tariffs and prices for services, public transportation and recreation and culture organizations increased by 0.9%, medical services ?by 0.4%.

Since the beginning of the year the level of inflation amounted to 2.8% (in January-September 2002 ?3.5%), including increase in prices for food products by 1.8%, non-food products ?by 4.7%, paid services for population ?by 3.0%.

In September 2003 an annual inflation rate amounted to 5.9% .

In September 2003 prices of industrial production enterprises grew 1.5% as compared with August 2003, 3.4% as compared with December 2002. Over 9 past months of the current year production prices became 3.7% more expensive, production services ?0.9%. In January-September of the current year the production of intermediate consumption became 4.3% more expensive, means of production ?0.3%, whereas consumption goods became 0.3% less expensive.

In the breakdown by sectors of industrial production, in September 2003 comparing to December 2002 the price increase was observed in manufacturing industry (5.2%), in production and distribution of energy, gas and water (0.8%). The price decrease was observed in mining industry (2.3%).