Fourth quarter 2006 price index

TIRANA, March 6 – For the fourth quarter 2006 the price index reached the level 132.2 (compared to base year level 1998), a 1.6 percent decrease compared to the previous quarter and an 0.8 percent decrease in annual terms. The sector of wood exploitation recorded a spike of 4.8 percent while mineral industry raised its production level and prices by an average of 0.4 percent. The coal sub-sector of this industry raised prices by 0.9 percent. Lower prices were recorded for the industry of treatment which had a 0.2 decrease compared to last quarter. A 1.3 percent increase was noted in the tobacco industry while the food one increased by 3 percent. The textile industry recorded an increase of 2.3 percent. Paper and publishing industries had a considerable decrease of 5 percent. Metallurgy prices went down by 2.2 percent while the energy sector had an even lower decrease of 9 percent compared to last quarter.