Machinery & Equipment Price Index Rise in H2 of 2018

Doha, January 12 (QNA) - The Machinery & Equipment Price Index (MEPI) for the second half 2018 reached 102.6 points, official data showed Saturday. The increase represents a 1.1percent increase on an annual basis. A comparison of the second half of 2018 with the first half showed that six of the main groups increased. Those groups were "Radio, Television and Communication Equipment & Apparatus," up by 4.4percent, followed by "Office, Accounting and Computing machinery" group which was up by 2.4percent, "Medical appliances, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks" group by 3.3percent, "Transport equipment" group by 0.8percent, "Special-purpose machines" group by 0.5percent, and "Machinery and Electrical Appliances" group by 0.4percent. A decrease recorded in "Musical instruments" group by 3.6 percent, followed by "Metal tools and tools" group by 3.8percent and "General purpose machinery" group by 2.0percent. On an annual basis, "Office, Accounting and Computing machinery" group increased by 2.9percent, "Radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus" group increased by 3.8percent, "Medical appliances, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks" group increased by 3.3percent, "Transport equipment" group increased by 0.6percent, and "Special purpose machines" group increased by 0.2percent. A decrease recorded in "Musical instruments" group by 4.2percent, "Metal tools and tools" group by 4.1percent, "General purpose machinery" group by 2.0percent, and "Machinery and electrical appliances" group by 0.5percent. (QNA)