Inflation inches up on higher Kampala parking fees

The recent increase in Kampala parking rates lifted Uganda’s inflation in September, according to data released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

Consumer prices were 5.3% higher in September compared to the same month last year, versus the 5.2% annual increase registered in August.

The statistics bureau attributed the modest rise to a rise in annual core inflation to 4.2% in September compared to 4.1% in the previous month. The rise in core inflation – which excludes volatile food and energy prices – was driven by services inflation which came in 4.1% higher than last year during the month, compared to the 3.3% year-on-year rise recorded in August.

Vincent Nsubuga Musoke, the principal statistician at Ubos, said the increase in services inflation was because of an increase in parking fees in Kampala. The price of a monthly parking ticket rose to Shs105,000 from Shs42,000, he said.

Read More: KCCA hikes parking fees to raise revenue, reduce congestion

Food prices rose 9.6% compared to the same month last year, lower than the 11.7% year-on-year increase recorded in August. This was due to lower annual food crops inflation which declined to 10.9% versus the 17.4% registered in the previous month.

Annual Energy, fuels, and utilities inflation was 10.6% in September, up from 7.8% in the previous month, largely because of a 15% year-on-year increase in the prices of solid fuels (charcoal and firewood). In August, the prices of solid fuels increased by 7.1% compared to the same month in 2016.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 1.0% in September from the 0.2% rise recorded in August, a result of the prices of food crops and related items rising by 4.6% versus the 0.9% rise registered in the previous month.