Sri Lanka’s National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) rose to a new high of 73.7 percent in September from a year earlier, quickening from 70.2 percent in August, the statistics department said.
Annual food price inflation picked up to 85.8 percent from 84.6 percent in August, while prices of non-food items rose 62.8 percent. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe predicted earlier on Thursday that inflation in the island nation is peaking, with price rises likely to ease this month.
The NCPI captures broader retail price inflation and is released with a lag of 21 days every month. The more closely monitored Colombo Consumer Price Index(CCPI), released at the end of each month, rose 69.8 percent in August. It acts as a leading indicator for national prices and shows how inflation is evolving in Sri Lanka’s biggest city….