In the first eight months, the consumer price index rose an annual 0.9%, the statistical service said on Thursday.

In August, the largest impact on inflation resulted from a 13% increase in fuel prices followed by a 7.9% increase in the price of fruit and vegetables, Cystat said. The third largest direct impact on inflation came from a 13% increase in electricity prices.

The overall increase in prices last month was partly offset by a 0.7% drop in the prices of industrial products and a 2.8% reduction in the price of water, Cystat said.

The island, whose public transit system remains undeveloped and its inhabitants rely on the use of cars to move around, has repeatedly failed in the past decade to introduce natural gas to substitute the use of crude oil and diesel as fuel for its conventional power plants.

Source: Cyprus Mail