KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 ― Malaysia’s services producer price index (SPPI) edged up 0.4 per cent to 110.2 in the first quarter of 2021 (1Q21) from 109.8 in the same quarter of 2020, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).

The SPPI is designed to measure the average changes in the prices of services charged by the local services industry in Malaysia.  

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the main sub-sectors that contributed to the increase were accommodation, food and beverage service activities (1.4 per cent), real estate activities (1.4 per cent), health (1.3 per cent), education (0.8 per cent) and transportation (0.1 per cent).

"However, the index for arts, entertainment and recreation as well as information and communication decreased 1.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively, while the index for professional remained unchanged,” he said in a statement today.

On a quarterly basis, Mohd Uzir said the SPPI edged up 0.1 per cent, driven by sub-sectors namely the arts, entertainment and recreation (one per cent), education (0.4 per cent), real estate activities (0.4 per cent), accommodation, food and beverage service activities (0.3 per cent) and health (0.1 per cent). 

"The index for transportation slipped 0.5 per cent while the professional as well as information and communication indices were unchanged,” he said. ― Bernama