Citizens will continue to pay more for food and services as inflation continues to soar.Headline inflation climbed to 13.5 per cent in August, up from 11.9 per cent a month earlier, the Central Bank's latest data showed yesterday.

Food inflation exerted the largest influence on headline inflation, registering a year on year increase of 30.2 per cent in August, up from 25.3 per cent in July."On a monthly basis, food prices increased by 5.6 per cent-the largest increase since December 2000," the Central Bank said in a statement.

The sharp jump in food inflation reflected a 62.2 per cent in bread and cereal prices, as well as increases in meat and vegetable prices.

Recent floods and adverse weather conditions have contributed to the surge in vegetable prices, the Bank said, adding that there have been significant increases in the price of tomatoes, cucumber, melongene and bodi.