Kosovo March CPI Up 0.1% M/M, 1.8% Y/Y

PRISTINA (Serbia and Montenegro), May 23 (SeeNews) - The March consumer price index (CPI) of the U.N.-run southern Serbian province of Kosovo rose by 0.1% month-on-month, after rising by 0.8% in February, statistics showed on Tuesday.

Year-on-year, the CPI rose 1.8%, much slower than the 3.2% growth in February.

In March last year the CPI increased by 1.5% month-on-month but was 2.0% lower year-on-year.

The province's CPI reached 103.2 points in March compared to the base 100 points in May 2002, Kosovo's statistics office said in a statement.

The month-on-month CPI increase in March was prompted mainly by the higher prices of fish and fish products, which went up by 6.4%. Prices of meat and sugar went up by 1.4% and 2.7%, respectively. The statistics office reported a 1.3% monthly price decrease for milk, milk products and eggs.

The year-on-year rise in consumer prices came mainly as a result of the higher prices of vegetables, up by 15.7%, and fruits, which gained 7.3% on the year.

Kosovo Consumer Prices Index (pct change):

.............................................................Y/Y.....................M/M

TOTAL..................................................+1.8....................+0.1

Food+Drink..........................................+1.7....................+0.5

Spirits+Tobacco...................................+0.2......................0.0

Clothing+Shoes....................................-2.1......................-0.7

Rents+Energy+Water...........................-1.8......................-1.6

Furnishings+Household Equipment.......-0.4.....................+0.2

Health Care..........................................+3.3.......................0.0

Transport.............................................+8.0.....................+0.7

Communications..................................+15.6......................0.0

Culture+Entertainment..........................-0.3......................-0.1

Education..............................................-3.2........................0.0 Hotels+Cafes+Restaurants.....................-0.5.....................-0.3

Other.....................................................+1.1....................+0.3

NOTE: Legally still part of the loose union of Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo has been under U.N. administration since 1999 following NATO bombings that expelled Serb forces to end what Western powers said was repression of civilians in fighting an ethnic Albanian rebel insurgency. U.N.-brokered talks are underway to determine the future status of Kosovo.