Uganda has registered an 8.3 percent underlying inflation, the highest rate in a decade, according to an official of Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Matthew Ssenyana, director of Macroeconomics Uganda Bureau of Statistics, was quoted by local media on Saturday as saying charges on utilities and food prices went up during November this year by a degree more than that in any similar period of previous years, pushing up the inflation rate beyond the government's target of 5 percent.

Headline inflation rate for the year ending November 2006 also rose to 9.2 percent, compared to 7.2 per cent that was registered for the year ended October 2006.

Electricity tariffs went up by 40 percent at the beginning of November, while food prices went up 3.3 percent during the month due to decreased supplies to the market. The extraordinary amount of rains in most parts of the country has hampered the smooth transportation of farm produce and led to low supplies.

Ssenyana noted, however, the rise in food and transport prices was expected because of the festive season.

Source: Xinhua