DUSHANBE, January 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Compared to 2007 the index of consumer prices last year amounted to 111.8 percent, the State Committee for Statistics said.

During 2008, prices of products of the food industry increased by 13 percent.

Prices set by producers of non-foodstuffs rose in cost by 5 percent during the report period.

During last year, prices and rates for services rendered to the population increased by 20 percent.  The ones that increased most significantly were: payment for electric power – two fold, payment for natural gas – 38.9 percent, tickets for air travel – 3.6 percent, public transportation services – 14.4 percent, tickets for rail travel – 17.9 percent, communications services – 2.5 percent, payment for water and sewage service – 41.2 percent, etc.        

An average monthly rate of inflation in the consumer sector was 0.98 percent (in 2007 – 1.64 percent).

The cost of the set of food products included in the consumer basket for actual consumption (based on figures from households studied during 2007) in prices as of the end of December 2008 was 88.18 somoni per one family member per month, and with the norm for a balanced diet it was 174.46 somoni.