Vegetal oil makers raised prices by 22 pct

In September the industrial production price index rose by 1.3 percent from August. In Moldova’s main industrial sector – the processing industry – prices went up by 1.8 percent. The most significant price hikes were posted by vegetal oil and animal fat producers (by 21.8 percent), processors of wood and furniture makers (by 18.3 percent), metalworks (by 15.4 percent), canneries (by 7.7 percent), dairies (by 6.6 percent), sugar makers (by 5.3 percent), manufacturers of clothing and furs (by 4.9 percent), producers of machinery and equipment (by 4.8 percent), tobacco processors (by 4.6 percent). In the mining industry prices rose by 0.6 percent, and charges for power and heat, natural gas and water remained at the level of the previous month. Industrial production prices went up by 28.6 percent compared with September 2006 and by 26.5 percent compared with the start of this year. According to official statistics, in September 2007, the rate of inflation stood at 1.6 percent. Nine months into this year, inflation stood at 9 percent, including for food products 9.5 percent, non-food products 7.7 percent, and services 11 percent.