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Zim cost of living up 49%
South African Press Association (SAPA)
July 24, 2007

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2152745,00.html

Harare - The cost of living in Zimbabwe has shot up by 49%, despite the imposition of price controls, reports said on Tuesday.

An average family of six required Zim$8.2m for basic goods and services in June, up from Zim$5.5m in May, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) was reported as saying.

The cost of living is way above average salaries: teachers only earn around Zim$2m a month while farm workers earn $96 000.

According to the CCZ, the cost of living would have been much higher at Zim$12.6m if President Robert Mugabe's government had not imposed sweeping price cuts by at least 50% on most goods and services late last month.

The business community said it had had to raise prices to keep up with soaring inflation, now estimated to be well above 4 500%.

The authorities have not published inflation data for two months now.

The Central Statistical Office (CSO), which was responsible for the release of inflation data, is soon to be replaced by a new body, the National Statistics Agency, the official Herald daily reported on Tuesday.

The paper said that the CSO's figures had been queried owing to capacity constraints and the use of statistically unsound data.

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