Prices rose 0.3 percent month-on-month to leave the all items index standing at 183.4 compared with 180 in May 2010, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

Year-on-year, the fish index increased to 190 in May, reflecting a price increase of 17.2 percent over the 12 months. Food prices not including fish climbed 3.6 percent.

Health and transport prices were up 2.4 percent and 1.8 percent respectively in the year to end May, while the costs of non-alcoholic beverages declined 1.9 percent over the year.

The International Monetary Fund said in March that rising food and fuel prices were expected to push Seychelles’ inflation rate to 5.5 percent by end 2011, above earlier forecasts.

Reuters.