­Consumer goods and ser­vices in Bonaire were 8.1% more expensive in the final quarter of 2022 than one year previously.

The inflation rate was still 12.2% in the third quarter of last year. The decline in the fourth quarter was largely attributable to a subsidy on the fixed usage rate for electricity that was implemented as of Novem­ber 1, 2022, the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) reported based on the con­sumer price index for the Caribbean Netherlands.

In St. Eustatius, prices went up by 9.1% year­ on-year in the last three months of 2022. The price hike was 9% in the third quarter of last year. The slight increase in prices in Statia was mainly due to increasing food prices, the CBS said.

Inflation remained stable on Saba with consumer prices rising by 9.7% in both the third and fourth quarters of 2022.

Prices of food and prod­ucts for home maintenance and repair were much more expensive than one year previously. The fall­ing price of gasoline had a dampening effect on infla­tion in Saba, according to the CBS.

Prices fell by 1.9% in Bo­naire between October and December 2022, relative to the third quarter of that year. CBS said the decline was primarily due to a sub­sidy on the fixed usage rate for electricity in Bonaire as of November 2022. Gaso­line prices fell by 8.6% rela­tive to the previous quarter. In Statia, consumer prices went up by 0.9% in the final quarter last year, relative to the third quarter. Food and non-alcoholic drinks became more expensive relative to the third quar­ter, whereas the prices for fresh vegetables increased by 11.3%.

Consumers in Saba paid on average 0.9% more in the fourth quarter of 2022 than in the previous quar­ter. Prices of food and non­alcoholic beverages rose by 3.5% in that period.

Home maintenance prod­ucts also rose in price by 23.5% on the previous quarter. The price of gaso­line fell by 6.9% relative to the third quarter of 2022. Passenger transport by air decreased by 19.6% in price.

The price of eggs started to rise significantly as of the second quarter of 2022. At the end of last year, eggs went up 32% in price in Statia and 7% in Saba. Prices for eggs remained unchanged in Bonaire.

Bonaire saw annual av­erage price levels in 2022 increase by 9.7% on the previous year. The annual year-on-year increase was 7.7% in Statia and 8.6% in Saba. This was related to higher prices for food, transportation, housing, water and energy on all three islands, the CBS said.

The Daily Herald.