Good to know that we are not imagining it, that government’s inflation figure — 3.8% in April — hardly reflects the inflation that the common tao struggles with on a daily basis in terms of the increase in prices, year on year, of daily essentials rice, electricity, and gasoline,

‘IN-OUR-FACE’ INFLATION
By Orlando Roncesvalles
Letter from Dumaguete

Rice, electricity, and gasoline

Electricity bills can shock, like the live wires in the 220-volt outlets. Doomsayers will have a field day, and cynics will peddle conspiracy theories even as we experience de rigeur brownouts. We need a superhero to deal with a blooming power crisis. Hmmm. We need a cha-cha fix.

The Dumaguete MetroPost reports that Noreco I and II bills show residential electricity has reached P14 to P16 per kilowatt hour, up by P0.87 and P1.40 from the previous month. The news raises questions about affordability and whether alternative sources such as residential solar energy or ‘mini’ nuclear reactors are viable solutions. The latest editorial in the paper advocates energy conservation measures. It left out going to a porch or veranda with a nice cold cocktail. The better to forget.

The bill shock is a ‘perfect storm’ brewed from seasonal demand and a higher supply price. These two phenomena reinforce each other, leading to a ‘double whammy.’ A third whammy is on the way. Why? Because bad luck comes in threes. Surely, I jest. Keep your fingers crossed on two.

A national official blames “the pass-through cost from the power suppliers.” The pass-through cost shows up as ‘generation cost’ in our electricity bills. This raises a more challenging question: Why are generation costs higher? Noreco II explains that these costs follow a seasonal pattern, rising in the summer and falling later in the year.

But there is no denying that electricity prices have risen. For decades, the story behind electricity prices has remained complicated. Is there too little supply? Yes. Do the power producers compete to lower the price? A few players dominate the market. Is there a problem of red tape that inhibits the entry of more players? Yes. Has government regulation over distribution utilities cut the costs charged to the consumer? We’re still determining. Is the exchange rate a factor? Only sometimes, because the peso fluctuates. Are prices sensitive to imported inputs? Yes.

The inflation issue isn’t just related to finances. It is also psychological. We are creatures of habit. The P500 bill was yellow and comfortable. The polymerized blue P1,000 bill has now become more commonplace. The value of daily transactions has risen faster than monthly incomes. We wish we were like the Argentines who bravely lived with inflation. Or like Henry Higgins getting accustomed to Eliza Doolittle’s face in My Fair Lady. Some search for an antidote in the crypto rabbit hole. The economists say it’s just another tax we cannot evade. Pay it and forget it.

While the educated elite may find an uneasy peace with the official inflation rate (see below), the common tao struggles. He can feel the prices of rice, electricity, and gasoline. These three commodities — called necessities — figure prominently in his limited budget. A measure of inflation focused on these goods is one that we can label as ‘anecdotal’ or ‘memorable.’ The number we get will stick to our brain cells even if the official inflation number does not.

The year-on-year price increase for rice was 21% in May. Local well-milled rice sold for P51.42/kg, compared with P42.50/kg a year ago. For electricity, the local utility (Noreco II) set the residential power rate at P14/kWh, compared with P12.79 in May 2023. This gives an electricity inflation rate of about 9.5%. Gasoline in the Philippines sold for P64.40/liter in May versus P59 a year ago. The gas inflation rate is about 9%. A simple average of these inflation rates is 13%. This memorable inflation rate is unbearably high. (Interestingly, the official inflation rate is much lower at 3.8% in April.)

But what accounts for the disconnect between the low official inflation rate and the high one for the ‘survival’ commodities? One possibility is that the prices of other consumer goods have not risen much or may even have declined. Someone from the Philippine Statistics Authority can explain. A further explanation is that the prices of these three goods are very volatile.

Does the disconnect even matter? Yes, for government officials who have to decide on mandated wage levels. The same goes for political leaders with a support base in the C-E classes. These voters suffer the most with memorable inflation. Economic managers also have to pay attention to the disconnect. They may become complacent with the low official inflation and urge the Bangko Sentral to cut interest rates prematurely.

The disconnect and both types of inflation will inevitably disappear. This is because economists assume or expect the relative prices between various goods to stabilize in the long run. The question of how long before both inflations converge is nonetheless uncharted territory. The answer will depend on how persistent the short-run factors, such as ‘shocks’ and ‘policy mistakes,’ are.

Can we forecast the inflation rate for the three goods in the next few months?

According to economists at the World Bank, the global rice market has been tightening. This is due to a ‘Niño’ effect and to export restrictions by the major rice-producing countries. Unless the government decides to subsidize the retail price or reduce the import duty on rice, we are in for a rough ride. Proposals to allow more rice imports will do little to reduce the local price. But at least there would be supply. So, no long lines to buy rice.

The world oil market and the peso-dollar exchange rate drive gasoline inflation. Even if the world price were to stabilize, the peso has lately been falling. For thinking purposes, we assume that the exchange rate stays where it is. The so-called ‘base effects’ will give us the near-term inflation rate in this scenario. Base effects mean that the inflation rate is calculated using current prices (P64/liter) compared with the average June through August 2023 price of P63.8/liter. This means that we can project a zero inflation rate for gasoline. Good news!

Electricity is more of a mystery. Taxes and subsidies can shift the balance between demand and supply. So can rule changes for the major players in the evolving electricity market. The entry of solar energy has ramped up with technological advances and lower prices for solar panels. At the same time, it is still government policy to push for economic growth. The net effect on the price level is possibly a wash, similar to what we might project for gasoline.

Electricity pricing by Noreco II could stabilize at P14/kWh. The base effect suggests an inflation rate of 12% (from an average price of P12.47/kWh for June-August 2023).

An approximate ‘base effect’ inflation projection for the three products in the next three months would be around 8%. This is based on zero inflation for gasoline and 12% for electricity and rice. Such a projection assumes an unchanged peso-dollar exchange rate. I surmise that inflation will remain persistent, like a disease that requires a lifestyle change.

All is never lost. Containing memorable inflation is no pipe dream. We can do our civic duty by changing our bad habits. Rice makes us fat anyway. We can reset the thermostats on our air conditioners and walk or ride bicycles. Our local governments can build nice sidewalks and bike lanes. We can also pray that the peso will strengthen. Civics are good. Honda thought so.

Some suggest that the government should impose price controls or targets. Never mind that such policies require subsidies and new taxes. They can also result in shortages and long lines. Will that be politically correct? Will the voters in next year’s election care? Time will tell. Space doesn’t know.

The Stoics claim that what matters is the line between things we can and cannot control. Aside from a renewal of civic virtues, memorable inflation is beyond our human ken. That is the province of gods, statesmen, and legislators. The official inflation rate is less problematic. It will remain within the 2-4% target range that the Bangko Sentral has set. That promise is easy enough to keep, especially if memorable inflation dissipates.

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Author’s email: ORoncesval4@gmail.com; Twitter: @ORoncesvalles