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- General PPI of March increased by 1.9 % when compared with the previous month’s.
- PPI of Crude Petroleum and Natural gas increased by 1.6 % when compared with the previous month’s.
- PPI of Manufacturing increase by 2.9 % when compared with the previous month’s.

Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) have released the Monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) of the Industrial sector for March 2016 with the base year 2013. Producer price index covers goods relating to “Mining” (weight: 72.7%), “Electricity & Water” (weight: 0.5%) and “Manufacturing” (weight: 26.8%).

 Mining
 The PPI of March, 2016 shows a rise of 1.6% when compared with PPI of February 2016, primarily due to the increased in prices of “Crude petroleum and natural gas”.  PPI of March 2016, when compared with its counterpart in the previous year, there has been a significant fall of 37.9%. Figure (1) shows the movement of “Mining” index during March 2015 and March 2016.

Manufacturing
An increase of 2.9% has been observed in March, 2016, when compared with the previous month’s Manufacturing index during this year. The increasing prices are noticed in “Refined Petroleum Products” by 3.9%,  “Basic chemicals” by 2.7%, and “Juices” by 1.9%, and “Cement and other non-metallic products” by 0.2%.  However, the prices decrease are seen in : Other chemical products” by 5.0%,  “Beverages” by 1.0%, “Rubber and plastics products” by 0.6%,  ”Basic Metals” by 0.4%,  “Grain mill products” by 0.1%,  and  “Dairy products” by 0.1%.  No change noticed in  Paper and Paper Products..

Comparing with the index of counterpart in the previous year (March  2015), “Manufacturing” PPI of March, 2016 showed a sharp decline of 21.1%. The major groups which explain this price fall are “Refined Petroleum Products” by 24.8%, ”Basic Metals” by 23.3%, “Basic chemicals” by 17.9%, Rubber and plastics products” by 3.2%, Grain mill products” by 1.4%, “Other chemical products” by 1.2%, and “Dairy products” by 0.7%.  “ However, prices rise are also noticed in: “Juices” by 9.7%,  “Cement and other non-metallic products” by 8.3%, and “Beverages” by 0.1%. Figure (2) shows the graphical presentation of “Manufacturing” index during March, 2015-2016.

Electricity and water
The PPI of this group showed a decrease of 0.2% compared to February  2016, resulting from the falling  price seen in “Electricity” by 2.9%. while  it rising  in “Water” by 3.5%   When compared the PPI of March, 2016, to the PPI of March, 2015, showed an increase [Y-o-Y] of 3.4%, resulting from the price rising in “Electricity” by 0.1% and  “Water” by 7.9%. 

Overall Index (PPI of Industrial sector)
 The PPI for March, 2016 is estimated at 43.1 points showing an increase of 1.9% compared to the previous month’s  February  2016, due to the increasing  that have been noticed in the “Mining” (which includes crude oil and natural gas), “Manufacturing”, and  a decrease in “Electricity and water”.  On [Y-o-Y] basis, PPI of March, 2016 shows a steep fall of 32.6% when compared to the PPI of March 2015.

More details on monthly/annual comparison of indices are available in Table (1) and figures (3) and (4) of the Press Release.

To Download the press release, click here

Further detailed data and indices would be available on the Ministry’s website, www.mdps.gov.qa and Qatar Information Exchange,, www.qalm.gov.qa.