OREANDA-NEWS. On 25 December 2008 was announced, that Belarus’ producer price index (PPI) went up 0.4% on the month in November and 16.4% in January-November, an official with Belarus’ Statistics Ministry told.

PPI rose 2.4% in the food industry, 1.8% in the glass and porcelain industry, 1.4% in the construction materials industry, 1.2% in the medical industry, 1% in electrical power engineering, 1% in the forestry industry, 1% in the chemical industry, and 1% in the timber, woodworking and pulp-and-paper industry.

Prices fell 5.4% in ferrous metallurgy, 7.5% in the petrochemical industry, and 0.5% in the flour and cereals industry.

Prices remained unchanged in the fuel industry, edged up 0.4% in engineering and metalworking, rose 0.8% in the light industry, 0.3% in the microbiological industry.

Freight tariffs went up 1% in November over October. Automobile freight tariffs went up 0.4%, and railroad freight tariffs went up 1.1%, air transport tariffs increased 1.4%, and pipeline tariffs 0.2%.

Construction and assembly prices rose 2.8% in November. Telecom tariffs for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs were unchanged.

Specialists believe producer prices will be growing much slower or even go down because of the weaker demand on the domestic market and necessity to empty stocks.

PPI rose 17.1% on the year in 2007 following the rise of 9% on the year in 2006.