JOHANNESBURG Nov 6 (Reuters) – South Africa has changed the
weightings in its consumer price index basket to reflect the
latest spending patterns, giving a slightly lower weighting to
food, while petrol and electricity weightings will rise, the
statistics agency said on Tuesday.
The weighting of electricity and other fuels has doubled to
4.1 percent from 2.1 percent previously, reflecting a steady
rise in electricity tariffs from state utility Eskom. Petrol
will rise to 5.4 percent from 3.6 percent.
Household contents and services also dropped in weighting,
to 4.9 percent from 6.1 percent, Statistics South Africa said.
The agency said the new weights would apply from January
2013.
Analysts said the changes would not make a marked difference
to headline inflation, which quickened to 5.5 percent in
September.
Stats SA said it would not recalculate previous inflation
numbers.
(Reporting by Xola Potelwa; Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa)
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