It explained that this decrease resulted from downward price movements in the sub-categories cereals and cereals products by 0.2%, condiments and spices by 0.6%, fruits and fruit products by 17.0% and non-alcoholic beverages by 0.1%.

However, increases in the sub-categories pulses and pulse products, meat, fish and eggs, milk and milk products, oils and fats, vegetables and vegetable products and tobacco and tobacco products did not reverse the overall downward price trend in the food group, the Bureau stated.

Similarly, recorded increases in prices in other lower-weighted sub-categories that comprise other goods and services did not affect the overall marginal decline in the index for June. For example, the release noted, the retail prices of the housing group increased by 0.1% of which sub-category fuel and power (domestic gas) rose by 0.2%.

The miscellaneous group and transport and communication group also increased by 0.3% and 0.8% respectively of which sub-categories operations of personal transport (gasoline) and communication (GT&T) rose by 0.9% and 2.8% respectively, while the price for transport services (airfare) declined by 1.1%.

According to the Bureau, the price index value moved from 182.2 in May to 182.1 in June this year. And as such the inflation rate for the first half of the year, which is from December 2002 to June 2003, was measured at 3.7%. On an annual basis, comparing June 2002 to June 2003, the Georgetown index rose by 5.8%.