The point-to-point inflation rate as recorded by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.1 per cent for calendar year May 2011 and June 2012 according to figures released Wednesday, by the Statistical Services Department. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures over time, changes in the general price level of goods and services that households acquire for the purpose of consumption which is the food basket. The CPI for June 2012 stands at 9.4 per cent. This means that the general price level went up by 9.4 per cent over the period. The monthly rate went down in June 2012 from 1.5 to 1.3 per cent a difference of 0.2 per cent. As expected, the two major contributors to the monthly CPI are the food and non-food sectors which contributed 5.4 per cent and 11.9 per cent of the inflation figure respectively. The major contributors to the food inflation rate were Bread and Cereals, Fish and Meat with Clothing and footwear, Transport, and Furnishing, household equipment, being the main contributors to the non-food inflation of 11.9 per cent. Six sub-groups in the non-food sector recorded year-on-year inflation rate above the group’s average rate. Transport recorded the highest of 19.7 per cent followed by alcohol and narcotics with 16.3 per cent. Inflation was lowest in the communication group below 1 per cent. At the regional level, the year-on-year inflation rate ranged from 5.1 per cent in the Upper East and Upper West Regions to 12.2 per cent in the Central Region. Three regions, Central, Ashanti and Greater Accra recorded inflation rates above the national average of 9.4 per cent. The question though remains what all these figures mean to the Ghanaian consumer. Acting Director at the GSS in charge of Operations, Kofi Agyeman-Duah explains, “the annual inflation figures are only indicators of how to plan for individual consumers and businesses. Stability guarantees that no matter how much money you have, you can forecast price changes.” With the current figures suggesting that inflation is low, Mr. Agyeman-Duah adds, “this only assures you not to go into panic buying.” On a more critical issue of whether income was catching up with inflation the acting director of Operations did not provide any definite answers.