Indonesia inflation rises to 4.5% in April

Indonesian inflation rose to 4.5 percent in April, driven by higher food prices, according to the government. The consumer price index (CPI) was up 4.5 percent from a year earlier, an increase from the 3.97 percent recorded in March, the Central Statistics Agency said. Staples such as garlic, chilli, sugar, onion and cooking oil were behind the inflationary push, said the agency's head Suryamin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. The April CPI rose 0.21 percent on-month compared with 0.07 percent rise in March, the agency said. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, hit 4.24 percent year-on-year in April, slightly lower than 4.25 percent in the previous month.