RAMALLAH, Sunday, April 19, 2020 (WAFA) – The overall Wholesale Price Index in Palestine reached 124.77 in the first quarter 2020 (Base year = 2007), representing an increase by 0.68% compared with the fourth quarter 2019, today said the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

PCBS said WPI for local products reached 129.61 in the first quarter 2020, which indicates an increase of 1.59% compared with the fourth quarter 2019.

WPI for imported products (2007 = 100) reached 120.47 in the first quarter 2020, up by 0.55% compared with the fourth quarter 2019.

WPI for the first quarter of 2020 increased due to the increase in the activities of Agriculture by 1.80%, and the activities of Manufacturing by 0.22%, while the activities of Fishing decreased by 11.35%, and the activities of Mining & Quarrying decreased by 1.44%.

PCBS said that as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the implemented measures to contain the disease, the data collection process for Wholesale Price Index has been replaced with data collection via phone and websites for all sale outlets in all of the Palestinian governorates in lieu of the face-to-face mechanism from the field.

In addition, international recommendations were followed by PCBS in estimating the data missing as a result of the ongoing lockdown resulting from the coronavirus outbreak.

M.N