Government warned as inflation hits 5%

THE Government must get a grip on wages and prices to tackle inflation after the rate hit 5% last month, economists said yesterday.

Inflation increased from 4.8% in February to 5% in March, its highest level in four months according to the Government’s Consumer Price Index.

The key drivers of inflation were housing costs and fuel bills, which were up 12.3% on March last year, as well as food, which rose by 9.3%, and education, up by 5.9%.