MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman's producer price index in the first quarter of 2023 recorded an increase of one per cent, compared to the same period in 2022, according to data issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information.
Prices of oil and gas products led this increase, registering a growth of 2 per cent, while non-oil products recorded a decrease of 4 per cent.
The increase in the prices of oil and gas products is attributed to the rise in the prices of crude oil products and natural gas by 2.8 per cent, while refined oil products decreased by 2.9 per cent.
The decrease in the prices of non-oil products is due to the decline in the prices of the manufacturing industries group by 5.5 per cent, in which most of the prices of the sub-groups decreased in varying proportions, as the prices of metal products, machinery and equipment decreased by 13.5 per cent, and the prices of other transportable commodities products by 3.1 per cent.
In the food, beverage and textile products group, the prices of beverages increased by 8.5 per cent, the prices of woven fabric products by 35 per cent, shoes by 1.8 per cent, bakery products and other food products by 2.3 per cent. The prices of dairy products decreased by 0.5 per cent, and the prices of clothing products were stable.
In transportable goods, the prices of chemical products decreased by 5.8 per cent, glass, cement and marble products by 1.6 per cent, dyes and pharmaceutical products by 0.4 per cent, furniture products and other goods by 0.3 per cent, and re-melted iron waste products by 1 per cent. Prices of rubber and plastic products increased by 2.2 per cent.
In metal products, machinery and equipment, the prices of iron, steel or aluminum ore and products decreased by 21.4 per cent, the prices of power transformers, electricity distribution and connection devices, and cables by 11.5 per cent, empty compressed cylinders by 7.1 per cent, and the prices of air conditioning units and car oil filters by 0.2 per cent. Products made of iron, steel, or aluminum increased by 2.4 per cent and water heaters by 2.9 per cent.
On the other hand, the prices of the mining, electricity and water group increased by 1.7 per cent due to the increase in the prices of the sub-groups represented in mineral ores by 45.1 per cent,and stones and sands by 13.8 per cent.
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