The Planning & Statistics Authority (PSA) has released the Machinery & Equipment Price Index (MEPI) for the First Half 2021, Which reached 99.01 points, decrease by 1.0% compared with the Second Half of 2020, and  a 1.6% decrease of MEPI, when compared with the counterpart of the previous year 2020. The MEPI is one the economic indicators produced by the Authority. This indicator calculated as semi - annual, with base year 2013.

An analysis on [H-o-H basis] of MEPI [First Half, 2021 against Second Half, 2020] shows that six of  the main groups were decreased namely: “Machinery and Electrical Appliances” by 4.2%, “Musical instruments”  by 2.6%, “Office, Accounting and Computing machinery” by 2.0%, “Transport” by 1.8% each. “General purpose machinery” by 1.2%, “Special-purpose machines” by 0.3%. An increase recorded in “Radio, Television and Communication” by 5.7%, “Metal tools and tools” by 3.4%, “Medical appliances, precision and optical instruments” by 3.2%. 

A comparison of the MEPI of First Half, 2021 with the First Half , 2020,  shown that, there has been a decrease by 1.6%, affected by groups prices declined namely: ”Radio, Television and Communication” by 7.5%, “Machinery and Electrical Appliances” by 4.1%, “Transport” by 3.2%, “Medical appliances, precision and optical instruments” by 2.6%,“ Musical instruments” by 1.2%, “General purpose machinery” by 0.1%. As for increase, it was recorded in three group that was “Metal tools and tools” by 3.5%, “Office, Accounting and Computing machinery” by 0.8%, and  “ Special-purpose machines” by 0.5%.

For more information click here.