CAMBODIA’S inflation showed further signs of slowing in September, official figures showed Wednesday, as Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation grew just 0.5 percent month-on-month, the lowest rate since February.

The figures from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) showed a 2.3 percent overall reduction in CPI last month compared to September last year, which represented less-severe deflation year-on-year than in August due to the high level of inflation recorded in July and August 2008.

The September rise in prices on the previous months was mainly due to increases in the cost of seafood and vegetables, the NIS said in its CPI report. Restaurants increased in price by 0.7 percent last month, it added. San Sy Than, director general of the statistics office, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

The trend follows that shown on a basket of 36 common household food items which increased in price by 1.1 percent during the third quarter, according to a report by the Post on September 30 based on Ministry of Commerce figures.

The International Monetary Fund and Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) have said recently that inflationary pressure has eased in the Kingdom this year due to the global economic crisis and lower fuel prices than last year, when the government expressed concerns over food security as inflation ran at more than 20 percent in July and August 2008.

The EIU said it expected inflationary pressure to return to the Kingdom next year in its October country outlook.