Tanzanian inflation edges up to 4.5 pct in year to April

Ephraim Kwesigabo, a director at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) told a news conference the rate went up due to a faster rise in prices of major food commodities.

"Food items whose prices increased include rice, maize, dried fish, beans, round potatoes, fresh cassava and sweet potatoes," he said.

The food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate increased to 7.1 percent in April from 5.9 percent in March.

Food is the biggest driver of inflation in east Africa's second-biggest economy among the basket of goods and services used to measure the inflation.

The month-on-month inflation rate for the month of April increased by 0.8 percent from an increase of 0.7 percent in March.