The index released by the Association on quarterly basis calculates the changes in prices of 144 products and services, including food, beverages, and telecommunication and transportation services.

According to the index, prices of fruits recorded the highest increase among the covered items and rose by 26 percent. Prices of vegetables registered the second-highest increase growing nine percent.

Prices of fuel products rose 3.6 percent while prices of canned products and oil grew slightly by 1.3 percent.

The index also indicated a drop in prices of three covered items; the cost of communication services dropped 0.47 percent, that of dairy products dropped 1.47 percent, and prices of household products and personal equipment also decreased by 1.17 percent.

Prices of beverages, bread, and transportation services remained unchanged, the index showed.

Prices continued to increase since December-2009, but the increase has eased from seven percent in the last quarter of 2009 to 3.5 percent in first three months of 2010.
 
The head of the Association, Zuhair Berro, said that the continuous increase in prices indicates the need to “re-evaluate the tax policies currently adopted.”