Consumer prices in Bulgaria rises by 12.4% in March: Report

Sofia, Bulgaria: The official statistics have been released as per which the consumer prices in Bulgaria have witnessed an increase of 12.4% in the month of March. The data has been released by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on Tuesday (April 19, 2022).  

Meanwhile, the consumer price in the month of February this year has been hiked by 10%. The statistical office further reveals in the monthly inflation report that consumer prices have gone up by 2.2% during the month of March and 1.4% in February. 

NSI, in its report, stated that the prices of the food and non-alcoholic beverages also leapt by 17.4% on the year in the month of March., whereas the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category have witnessed a hike of 14% year-on-year in the month. 

The statistical data then adds that the EU-harmonised consumer price index (HICP) also rose by 10.5% on the basis of annual comparison in the month of March and by 2.1% in February. 

In addition to this, Bulgaria’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) notified that the electricity production had glimpsed a rise of 19.26% year-on-year in the period January 1 – April 17, 2022. Moreover, the power trade surplus to date in the ongoing year is 157.25% more elevated in terms of an annual basis.  

Renewable energy’s volume in the transmission network has risen by 25.35% on the year to 504.6 GWh, as of April 17, 2022, the official data further informs. 

Apart from this, the output of hydropower plants has decreased by 33.77% year-on-year to 1,292 GWh in the time period under review.  

Elhim Iskra – the car battery manufacturer of the Balkan state, cited that it reported a preliminary loss of 534,000 levs ($294,800/273,000 euro) in the first quarter of the ongoing year. The information has been shared by the firm officials in a statement released on Tuesday.