Sierra Leone-Freetown: Production in the mining sector showed a drop in output for Diamonds (19.54%), Gold (18.88%), Bauxite (26%), Ilmenite (43.91%) and Zircon (85.84%).
The April 2021 records showed output of 65.64 thousand carats for diamonds, 171.00 ounces for gold, 89.48 thousand metric tons for bauxite, 2.18 thousand metric tons Ilmenite, and 0.41 thousand metric tons for zircon.
For diamonds, 60.92 thousand carats were industrial and 4.73 thousand carats gem, according to records from the Central Bank. Conversely, Rutile and Iron ore production increased by 14.8% and 27.9% amounting to 10.01 thousand metric tons, and 113.68 thousand metric tons respectively.
The Monthly Economic Review of the Central Bank revealed also that, production outcomes in the manufacturing sector were mixed in the month of April 2021. The production of cement, confectionery and common soap increased by 6.32 percent, 1.87 percent and 17.81 percent respectively, totalling 36.70 thousand metric tons, 294.46 thousand pounds and 68.14 thousand metric tons relative to outputs in March 2021, respectively.
On the other hand, production of paint, acetylene and oxygen decreased by 7.02 percent, 10.35 percent and 2.67 percent respectively totalling 56.44 thousand gallons, 30.05 thousand cubic feet and 36.42 thousand cubic feet relative to outputs in March 2021. However on price developments, headline inflation (year-on-year) increased slightly to 9.60 percent in April 2021 from 8.95 percent in March 2021, reflecting an uptick in both food and non-food inflation to 15.64 percent and 4.67 percent from 15.45 percent and 3.88 percent in March 2021, respectively (see figure 1).
On regional basis, inflation in the Western and Northern regions increased to 8.11 percent and 12.79 percent in April 2021 from 7.90 percent and 9.93 percent in March 2021, respectively. Conversely, inflation in the Eastern and Southern regions decreased to 7.51 percent and 10.49 percent in April 2021 from 8.57 percent and 10.59 percent in March 2021, respectively. Headline inflation (month-on-month) edged-up to 2.73 percent in April 2021 from 0.84 percent in March 2021. Figure 2 depicts the trends in both annual and monthly inflation.
ZIJ/2/08/2021