For the same period, however, the price of materials used by the printing industry increased by 0.6 per cent while no change was reported on a year on year basis.

Printing Industries Industry and Commercial Policy Manager Hagop Tchamkertenian says this is consistent with the trends they are picking up from the Printing Industry Trends reports, which point to falling selling prices and margins being further squeezed.

He says that inflation has remained in control, which was a good result from a monetary policy perspective. “With inflation running at 2.5 per cent and well within the target band of the Reserve Bank the prospects of increased interest rates have now somewhat subsided,” says Tchamkertenian.

“No doubt the Reserve Bank will continue to monitor developments closely as the producer price index released on Monday shows domestic prices for final goods increased by 4.6 per cent during the past year and high crude oil prices could yet provide an external shock.”

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