Domestic PPI improves 10.2 pct for January 2017

Malaysia's domestic Producer Price Index (PPI) for January 2017 improved by 10.2 per cent to 109.6 from 99.5 registered in the same period last year, the Statistics Department said.

In a statement today, the department said, the highest increase was recorded by the mining index (+42.8 per cent) followed by agriculture, forestry and fishing (+33.4 per cent), manufacturing (+5.6 per cent) and electricity and gas supply (+3.2 per cent).

However, it said, the index for water supply remained unchanged.

"On a monthly basis, the PPI for local production improved by two per cent in January 2017 due to increases in three sectors -- mining (+6.3 per cent); agriculture, forestry and fishing (+2.7 per cent); and, manufacturing (+1.5 per cent).

"Meanwhile, water supply and electricity and gas supply recorded decreases of 1.4 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively," it said.

The department said the PPI for local production by stage of processing (SOP) improved by two per cent in January 2017 compared to the previous month.

This was due to increases in the indices for crude materials for further processing (+3.1 per cent), intermediate materials, supplies and components (+2.1 per cent) and finished goods (+0.4 per cent), it said.

It said when compared with the same month a year ago, the PPI for local production by SOP for January 2017 increased by 10.2 per cent due to increases in index for crude materials for further processing (+39.1 per cent), intermediate materials, supplies and components (+6.0 per cent) and finished goods (+0.4 per cent). -- Bernama